1,925 tests in 2025
Nissan Unclassified reliability and MOT pass rate
75.5% passed first time. The 24.5% fail rate is 1.9 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 17 years old with 89,097 miles.
Pass rate
75.5%
22.6% of all cars failed; 24.5% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.5%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
89,097 mi
17 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 79 | — |
| 6-9 years | 253 | 22.1% |
| 10-13 years | 265 | 28.7% |
| 14+ years | 1,328 | 24.8% |
What the Unclassified 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 equipment44.1%
- Suspension10 dangerous41.5%
- Brakes75 dangerous34.7%
- Body, chassis, structure1 dangerous19.7%
- Visibility1 dangerous17.4%
- Tyres73 dangerous15%
- Noise, emissions and leaks13.1%
- Steering10.8%
Is the Unclassified getting worse?
The fail rate fell 2.6 points to 24.5% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 4 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.1 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,061 | 13 | 27.1% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 2,125 | 14 | 26.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,784 | 16 | 26.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,925 | 17 | 24.5% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Unclassified 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 Unclassified in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Position lamp: not working47 tests
- 2Rear fog lamp: not working43 tests
- 3Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt39 tests
- 4Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn37 tests
- 5Service brake imbalance: across an axle35 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn35 tests
- 7Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively32 tests
- 8Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength29 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Unclassified collects 2.9 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 1.6mm269 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick172 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened158 tests
- 4Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine147 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn136 tests
- 6Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure131 tests
- 7Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded111 tests
- 8Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn69 tests
Questions
What is the Nissan Unclassified MOT pass rate?
75.5% of the 1,925 Nissan Unclassified first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 24.5% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.5% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Nissan Unclassified usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Position lamp: not working", recorded on 47 failed tests, followed by "Rear fog lamp: not working" and "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 44.1% of failures, suspension appears in 41.5% of failures, brakes appears in 34.7% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 12.7%; at 14+ years it was 24.8%. The median Nissan Unclassified tested in 2025 was 17 years old with 89,097 miles.
Is the Nissan Unclassified getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 2.6 points to 24.5% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 4 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.1 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 Unclassified trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Nissan models
Checking a particular Unclassified?
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.