2,300 tests in 2025
Nissan Primera reliability and MOT pass rate
66.1% passed first time. The 33.9% fail rate is 11.3 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 21 years old with 90,127 miles.
Pass rate
66.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 33.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
9%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
90,127 mi
21 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 1 | — |
| 10-13 years | 1 | — |
| 14+ years | 2,298 | 33.9% |
What the Primera 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 equipment4 dangerous46.7%
- Brakes123 dangerous41.2%
- Suspension36 dangerous37.7%
- Body, chassis, structure13 dangerous26.3%
- Noise, emissions and leaks22.6%
- Tyres141 dangerous16.9%
- Visibility1 dangerous14.8%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems14.1%
Is the Primera getting worse?
The fail rate fell 1.8 points to 33.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0.2 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5,561 | 18 | 35.7% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 4,340 | 19 | 34.6% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 2,855 | 20 | 35.4% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 2,300 | 21 | 33.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Primera 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 Primera in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements96 tests
- 2Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength95 tests
- 3Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect88 tests
- 4Position lamp: not working77 tests
- 5Stop lamp: not working77 tests
- 6Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases68 tests
- 7SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault64 tests
- 8Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively60 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Primera collects 3.78 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.
- 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine430 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm347 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure301 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened277 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick241 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn224 tests
- 7Registration plates: inscription illegible201 tests
- 8Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded197 tests
Questions
What is the Nissan Primera MOT pass rate?
66.1% of the 2,300 Nissan Primera first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 33.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 9% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Nissan Primera usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements", recorded on 96 failed tests, followed by "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" and "Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 46.7% of failures, brakes appears in 41.2% of failures, suspension appears in 37.7% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 33.9%. The median Nissan Primera tested in 2025 was 21 years old with 90,127 miles.
Is the Nissan Primera getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 1.8 points to 33.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0.2 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 Primera 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 4 safety recalls naming the Nissan Primera: Nissan Primera recalls.
Other Nissan models
Checking a particular Primera?
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.