Infiniti Q30 MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 5 model years and 26,837 tests, the Infiniti Q30 passes its MOT 88.5% of the time. Small family cars of a similar age fail at 12.4%, so the Q30 sits squarely on the average. Its most common failure areas are tyres, lighting & signalling and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (4.2%) and lighting & signalling (3.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, brake pads and headlamp — tread depth alone was recorded 702 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 6.2% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 22.8% once past 150k — 3.7× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 9.3% fail against 12.0% for diesel, a 2.7-point gap across 26,837 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 27.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 7.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 15.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Q30 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 64 | 89.1% | 10.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 9,998 | 87.8% | 12.2% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 14,201 | 88.5% | 11.5% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 1,693 | 91.8% | 8.2% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 881 | 92.2% | 7.8% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.2% | 1,120 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.2% | 866 |
| 3 | Suspension | 3.0% | 803 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.6% | 705 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.0% | 536 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.1% | 294 |
| 7 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.5% | 126 |
| 8 | Road wheels | 0.4% | 110 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 702 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 554 |
| 3 | Headlamp | 430 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 418 |
| 5 | Coil spring | 417 |
| 6 | Washers | 403 |
| 7 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 325 |
| 8 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 268 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 27.1% | 7,274 |
| 2 | Brakes | 18.2% | 4,882 |
| 3 | Other defects | 7.2% | 1,942 |
| 4 | Suspension | 3.9% | 1,040 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.1% | 549 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.6% | 428 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 4,583 | 6.2% |
| 30-60k | 13,747 | 10.4% |
| 60-90k | 6,611 | 15.3% |
| 90-120k | 1,529 | 18.7% |
| 120-150k | 274 | 16.4% |
| 150k+ | 92 | 22.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 21,696 | 12.0% |
| Petrol | 5,141 | 9.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5,037 | 7.6% |
| 2022 | 5,370 | 9.4% |
| 2023 | 5,400 | 11.5% |
| 2024 | 5,467 | 12.8% |
| 2025 | 5,563 | 15.5% |
What to check before buying a Infiniti Q30
- Tyres (4.2% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Lighting & signalling (3.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (3.0% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Infiniti Q30?
88.5% of the 26,837 Infiniti Q30 MOT tests in this dataset passed, an 11.5% fail rate, across model years 2015–2019.
What does the Infiniti Q30 most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 4.2% of tests, then lighting & signalling (3.2%).
How much does mileage affect Q30 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 6.2% for cars in the 0-30k band and 22.8% for 150k+, a 16.7-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Q30 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 9.3% of the time against 12.0% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 26,837 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.