4,459 tests in 2025
Nissan Pathfinder reliability and MOT pass rate
62% passed first time. The 38% fail rate is 15.4 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 16 years old with 127,798 miles.
Pass rate
62%
22.6% of all cars failed; 38% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.1%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
127,798 mi
16 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 4 | — |
| 6-9 years | 5 | — |
| 10-13 years | 1,019 | 39.5% |
| 14+ years | 3,430 | 37.7% |
What the Pathfinder 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.
- Suspension100 dangerous53.1%
- Body, chassis, structure73 dangerous43%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment15 dangerous41.1%
- Brakes187 dangerous25.6%
- Steering21 dangerous17.2%
- Visibility16%
- Noise, emissions and leaks5 dangerous15.5%
- Tyres273 dangerous13.3%
Is the Pathfinder getting worse?
The fail rate fell 1.6 points to 38% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 2.4 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 7,576 | 14 | 39.6% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 6,709 | 15 | 39.5% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 5,201 | 15 | 39.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 4,459 | 16 | 38% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn280 tests
- 2Coil spring: fractured or broken244 tests
- 3Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play240 tests
- 4Position lamp: not working216 tests
- 5Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases178 tests
- 6Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn169 tests
- 7Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt166 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm124 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Pathfinder collects 3.19 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 1.6mm777 tests
- 2Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn568 tests
- 3Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine536 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened458 tests
- 5Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn456 tests
- 6Chassis condition: corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced415 tests
- 7Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick376 tests
- 8Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded322 tests
Questions
What is the Nissan Pathfinder MOT pass rate?
62% of the 4,459 Nissan Pathfinder first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 38% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.1% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Nissan Pathfinder usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn", recorded on 280 failed tests, followed by "Coil spring: fractured or broken" and "Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play". By section, suspension appears in 53.1% of failures, body, chassis, structure appears in 43% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 41.1% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 0%; at 14+ years it was 37.7%. The median Nissan Pathfinder tested in 2025 was 16 years old with 127,798 miles.
Is the Nissan Pathfinder getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 1.6 points to 38% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 2.4 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 Pathfinder 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 8 safety recalls naming the Nissan Pathfinder: Nissan Pathfinder recalls.
Other Nissan models
Checking a particular Pathfinder?
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.