7,939 tests in 2025
Nissan Primastar reliability and MOT pass rate
59.1% passed first time. The 40.9% fail rate is 18.3 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 17 years old with 139,933 miles.
Pass rate
59.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 40.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
8.1%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
139,933 mi
17 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 608 | 16.6% |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 1,269 | 42.9% |
| 14+ years | 6,022 | 43.1% |
What the Primastar 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.
- Suspension157 dangerous57.6%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment47 dangerous51%
- Brakes653 dangerous46.6%
- Steering58 dangerous26%
- Body, chassis, structure44 dangerous21.3%
- Visibility1 dangerous19.7%
- Tyres432 dangerous14.6%
- Noise, emissions and leaks9 dangerous11%
Is the Primastar getting worse?
The fail rate fell 1.3 points to 43.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 1.7 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 11,205 | 15 | 44.4% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 10,216 | 16 | 44.9% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 8,183 | 17 | 45.4% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 7,291 | 17 | 43.1% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Primastar 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 Primastar in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn759 tests
- 2Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play670 tests
- 3Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements518 tests
- 4Position lamp: not working474 tests
- 5Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps335 tests
- 6Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt331 tests
- 7Stop lamp: not working326 tests
- 8Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded313 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Primastar collects 3.45 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.
- 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine1,589 tests
- 2Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded1,495 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened1,297 tests
- 4Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,262 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn743 tests
- 6Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)708 tests
- 7Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick702 tests
- 8Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn587 tests
Questions
What is the Nissan Primastar MOT pass rate?
59.1% of the 7,939 Nissan Primastar first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 40.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 8.1% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Nissan Primastar usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn", recorded on 759 failed tests, followed by "Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play" and "Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements". By section, suspension appears in 57.6% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 51% of failures, brakes appears in 46.6% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 16.6%; at 14+ years it was 43.1%. The median Nissan Primastar tested in 2025 was 17 years old with 139,933 miles.
Is the Nissan Primastar getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 1.3 points to 43.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 1.7 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 Primastar 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 7 safety recalls naming the Nissan Primastar: Nissan Primastar recalls.
Other Nissan models
Checking a particular Primastar?
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.