2,597 tests in 2025
Nissan Cube reliability and MOT pass rate
74% passed first time. The 26% fail rate is 3.4 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 15 years old with 84,810 miles.
Pass rate
74%
22.6% of all cars failed; 26% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.2%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
84,810 mi
15 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 81 | — |
| 6-9 years | 238 | 23.5% |
| 10-13 years | 278 | 17.6% |
| 14+ years | 1,997 | 27.4% |
What the Cube fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment2 dangerous47.9%
- Suspension28 dangerous44.2%
- Brakes89 dangerous28.2%
- Tyres130 dangerous16.9%
- Body, chassis, structure3 dangerous15.9%
- Visibility2 dangerous15.4%
- Noise, emissions and leaks13.1%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems4.3%
Is the Cube getting worse?
The fail rate rose 1.4 points to 26% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.3 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,637 | 12 | 24.6% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 2,819 | 13 | 25.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 2,514 | 14 | 28% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 2,591 | 15 | 26% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Cube at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Cube in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn119 tests
- 2Position lamp: not working105 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn76 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick57 tests
- 5Rear fog lamp: not working51 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm47 tests
- 7Ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt46 tests
- 8Rear fog lamp: does not emit a steady red light43 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Cube collects 2.75 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn332 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm311 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened257 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure236 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick219 tests
- 6Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened115 tests
- 7Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn93 tests
- 8Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded89 tests
Questions
What is the Nissan Cube MOT pass rate?
74% of the 2,597 Nissan Cube first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 26% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.2% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Nissan Cube usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn", recorded on 119 failed tests, followed by "Position lamp: not working" and "Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 47.9% of failures, suspension appears in 44.2% of failures, brakes appears in 28.2% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 25.9%; at 14+ years it was 27.4%. The median Nissan Cube tested in 2025 was 15 years old with 84,810 miles.
Is the Nissan Cube getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 1.4 points to 26% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.3 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Cube trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Nissan models
Checking a particular Cube?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.