136,533 tests in 2025
Nissan Note reliability and MOT pass rate
71.8% passed first time. The 28.2% fail rate is 5.6 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 13 years old with 76,065 miles.
Pass rate
71.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 28.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
8.9%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
76,065 mi
13 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 18 | — |
| 6-9 years | 14,725 | 13.9% |
| 10-13 years | 55,596 | 23.4% |
| 14+ years | 66,190 | 35.3% |
What the Note 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.
- Suspension1,623 dangerous59.8%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment353 dangerous43.7%
- Tyres7,993 dangerous19.5%
- Brakes3,183 dangerous19.2%
- Visibility13 dangerous13.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks9 dangerous10.5%
- Body, chassis, structure312 dangerous10.3%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems1 dangerous5.5%
Is the Note getting worse?
The fail rate rose 3.4 points to 28.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (4.1 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 160,819 | 11 | 24.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 157,335 | 12 | 26.3% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 132,777 | 13 | 27.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 136,522 | 13 | 28.2% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Note 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 Note in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn6,979 tests
- 2Coil spring: fractured or broken6,886 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn6,639 tests
- 4Position lamp: not working5,731 tests
- 5Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect4,344 tests
- 6Stop lamp: not working4,268 tests
- 7Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm3,386 tests
- 8Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively3,019 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Note collects 2.8 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 worn23,593 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm22,151 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure15,654 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened13,044 tests
- 5Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened12,630 tests
- 6Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine8,657 tests
- 7Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick7,466 tests
- 8Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn5,967 tests
Questions
What is the Nissan Note MOT pass rate?
71.8% of the 136,533 Nissan Note first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 28.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 8.9% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Nissan Note usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn", recorded on 6,979 failed tests, followed by "Coil spring: fractured or broken" and "Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn". By section, suspension appears in 59.8% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 43.7% of failures, tyres appears in 19.5% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 11.1%; at 14+ years it was 35.3%. The median Nissan Note tested in 2025 was 13 years old with 76,065 miles.
Is the Nissan Note getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 3.4 points to 28.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (4.1 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 Note 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 10 safety recalls naming the Nissan Note: Nissan Note recalls.
Other Nissan models
Checking a particular Note?
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.