2015 Infiniti Q50 — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 4,442 MOT tests, the 2015 Infiniti Q50 recorded an 83.3% pass rate. That is 2.7 percentage points worse than executive cars of a similar age, which fail at 14.0%. Failures cluster in brakes, tyres and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (7.2%) and tyres (6.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are brake pads, tread depth and ball joint — brake pads alone was recorded 216 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 6.7% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 17.8% once past 150k — 2.6× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 11.3% fail against 17.6% for diesel, a 6.3-point gap across 4,297 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 23.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 15.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 18.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 7.2% | 322 |
| 2 | Tyres | 6.5% | 288 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 5.0% | 222 |
| 4 | Suspension | 4.4% | 195 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.0% | 90 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.9% | 42 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brake pads | 216 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 192 |
| 3 | Ball joint | 109 |
| 4 | Linkage ball joints | 105 |
| 5 | Wipers | 79 |
| 6 | Brake discs | 77 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 23.1% | 1,024 |
| 2 | Tyres | 22.9% | 1,016 |
| 3 | Suspension | 20.8% | 926 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.0% | 265 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.2% | 144 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 3.2% | 143 |
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 | 104 | 6.7% |
| 30-60k | 1,399 | 14.0% |
| 60-90k | 1,800 | 17.9% |
| 90-120k | 808 | 19.2% |
| 120-150k | 240 | 18.3% |
| 150k+ | 90 | 17.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 3,741 | 17.6% |
| Petrol | 556 | 11.3% |
| Hybrid | 145 | 13.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 925 | 15.1% |
| 2022 | 906 | 15.1% |
| 2023 | 913 | 17.2% |
| 2024 | 858 | 18.2% |
| 2025 | 840 | 18.0% |
What to check before buying a 2015 Q50
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: brakes accounted for 7.2% of tests. Start there.
- Brakes (7.2% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Tyres (6.5% 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 (5.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2015 Infiniti Q50s pass their MOT?
83.3% of the 4,442 2015 Infiniti Q50 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 16.7% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 Infiniti Q50?
Brakes, recorded in 7.2% of tests, followed by tyres (6.5%).
Does the 2015 Q50 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.7% in the 0-30k band to 17.8% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 4,442 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.