219,682 tests in 2025
Nissan Micra reliability and MOT pass rate
71.5% passed first time. The 28.5% fail rate is 5.9 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 14 years old with 58,024 miles.
Pass rate
71.5%
22.6% of all cars failed; 28.5% of these did.
Fixed on the day
8.2%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
58,024 mi
14 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 16,974 | 10% |
| 6-9 years | 38,485 | 24.3% |
| 10-13 years | 45,863 | 25.3% |
| 14+ years | 118,297 | 33.8% |
What the Micra 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.
- Suspension1,677 dangerous52.1%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment244 dangerous39.9%
- Brakes4,456 dangerous22%
- Tyres12,994 dangerous19.5%
- Visibility25 dangerous17%
- Body, chassis, structure435 dangerous14.3%
- Noise, emissions and leaks19 dangerous10.1%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems12 dangerous5.4%
Is the Micra getting worse?
The fail rate rose 2 points to 28.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.8 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 264,084 | 13 | 26.6% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 254,909 | 14 | 27.3% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 211,196 | 14 | 28.3% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 218,375 | 14 | 28.6% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Micra 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 Micra in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn9,129 tests
- 2Coil spring: fractured or broken8,207 tests
- 3Position lamp: not working6,881 tests
- 4Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn6,617 tests
- 5Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps6,061 tests
- 6Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively5,962 tests
- 7Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect5,799 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm4,833 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Micra collects 2.93 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 worn35,340 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure31,290 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm30,558 tests
- 4Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened23,091 tests
- 5Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened15,899 tests
- 6Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine15,027 tests
- 7Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick11,300 tests
- 8Registration plates: inscription illegible8,491 tests
Questions
What is the Nissan Micra MOT pass rate?
71.5% of the 219,682 Nissan Micra first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 28.5% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 8.2% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Nissan Micra usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn", recorded on 9,129 failed tests, followed by "Coil spring: fractured or broken" and "Position lamp: not working". By section, suspension appears in 52.1% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 39.9% of failures, brakes appears in 22% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 10%; at 14+ years it was 33.8%. The median Nissan Micra tested in 2025 was 14 years old with 58,024 miles.
Is the Nissan Micra getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 2 points to 28.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.8 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
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 Micra trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 20 safety recalls naming the Nissan Micra: Nissan Micra recalls.
Other Nissan models
Checking a particular Micra?
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.