13,071 tests in 2025
Nissan Elgrand reliability and MOT pass rate
71.3% passed first time. The 28.7% fail rate is 6.1 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 17 years old with 87,298 miles.
Pass rate
71.3%
22.6% of all cars failed; 28.7% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
87,298 mi
17 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 817 | 31.2% |
| 6-9 years | 1,572 | 34.7% |
| 10-13 years | 1,127 | 23.3% |
| 14+ years | 9,545 | 28.2% |
What the Elgrand 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 equipment10 dangerous43%
- Suspension129 dangerous42.9%
- Brakes751 dangerous31.8%
- Tyres993 dangerous21.9%
- Body, chassis, structure32 dangerous14.2%
- Noise, emissions and leaks2 dangerous13.5%
- Visibility1 dangerous13.5%
- Steering4 dangerous7.7%
Is the Elgrand getting worse?
The fail rate rose 2.8 points to 29% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 4 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.1 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 11,569 | 13 | 26.2% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 12,692 | 14 | 27.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 11,786 | 16 | 28.1% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 12,849 | 17 | 29% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Elgrand 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 Elgrand in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick440 tests
- 2Rear fog lamp: not working387 tests
- 3Position lamp: not working355 tests
- 4Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt353 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn325 tests
- 6Condition: has ply or cords exposed305 tests
- 7Rear fog lamp: does not emit a steady red light280 tests
- 8Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt277 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Elgrand collects 2.78 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.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2,279 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,655 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened1,287 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,055 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure653 tests
- 6Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine637 tests
- 7Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn527 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)405 tests
Questions
What is the Nissan Elgrand MOT pass rate?
71.3% of the 13,071 Nissan Elgrand first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 28.7% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Nissan Elgrand usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick", recorded on 440 failed tests, followed by "Rear fog lamp: not working" and "Position lamp: not working". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 43% of failures, suspension appears in 42.9% of failures, brakes appears in 31.8% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 31.2%; at 14+ years it was 28.2%. The median Nissan Elgrand tested in 2025 was 17 years old with 87,298 miles.
Is the Nissan Elgrand getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 2.8 points to 29% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 4 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.1 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 Elgrand 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 Elgrand?
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.