Nissan Elgrand MOT pass rate & common failures
75,499 MOT tests on the Nissan Elgrand (1994–2024) give it a 77.7% pass rate. That is 1.3 percentage points better than MPVs of a similar age, which fail at 23.6%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Elgrand years
Ranked across Elgrand years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2010 cars pass 81.8% of the time while 2016 cars manage 72.0%, a 9.9-point spread.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (12.6%) and suspension (9.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are rear fog lamp, position lamp and headlamp aim — rear fog lamp alone was recorded 4,806 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 12.1% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 31.0% once past 150k — 2.6× the risk.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 10.9pp more often than petrol ones (32.6% vs 21.7%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 23.2% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 21.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 23.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Elgrand model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 224 | 64.7% | 35.3% | Suspension |
| 1998 | 289 | 65.4% | 34.6% | Suspension |
| 1999 | 380 | 70.0% | 30.0% | Suspension |
| 2000 | 331 | 69.5% | 30.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 342 | 72.2% | 27.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 2,044 | 73.7% | 26.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 2,812 | 73.7% | 26.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 4,325 | 76.9% | 23.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 7,130 | 77.7% | 22.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 5,851 | 79.3% | 20.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 7,622 | 79.8% | 20.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 7,446 | 80.9% | 19.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 3,270 | 81.2% | 18.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 3,757 | 81.8% | 18.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 2,354 | 81.2% | 18.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 1,519 | 81.3% | 18.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 1,324 | 77.4% | 22.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 1,488 | 76.5% | 23.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 2,710 | 72.4% | 27.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 3,443 | 72.0% | 28.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 3,989 | 74.0% | 26.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 2,974 | 74.7% | 25.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 3,164 | 77.4% | 22.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 3,558 | 77.6% | 22.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 3,083 | 80.2% | 19.8% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 12.6% | 9,476 |
| 2 | Suspension | 9.9% | 7,461 |
| 3 | Brakes | 7.2% | 5,415 |
| 4 | Tyres | 4.9% | 3,684 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.9% | 2,971 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.4% | 2,554 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 2.9% | 2,164 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.6% | 1,239 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rear fog lamp | 4,806 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 2,765 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 2,697 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 2,607 |
| 5 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 2,406 |
| 6 | Pins and bushes | 2,384 |
| 7 | Tread depth | 2,203 |
| 8 | Catalyst emissions | 1,983 |
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 | 23.2% | 17,495 |
| 2 | Suspension | 22.0% | 16,600 |
| 3 | Tyres | 21.5% | 16,246 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 10.4% | 7,860 |
| 5 | Other defects | 7.2% | 5,431 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.7% | 3,549 |
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 | 1,050 | 12.1% |
| 30-60k | 11,779 | 15.2% |
| 60-90k | 26,785 | 19.7% |
| 90-120k | 19,053 | 25.1% |
| 120-150k | 9,643 | 27.2% |
| 150k+ | 7,096 | 31.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 71,351 | 21.7% |
| Diesel | 3,972 | 32.6% |
| Gas/LPG | 99 | 27.3% |
| Hybrid | 66 | 10.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 12,279 | 21.4% |
| 2022 | 14,132 | 21.5% |
| 2023 | 15,624 | 22.2% |
| 2024 | 16,435 | 22.6% |
| 2025 | 17,029 | 23.4% |
What to check before buying a Nissan Elgrand
- Lighting & signalling (12.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (9.9% 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.
- 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.
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 Nissan Elgrand?
77.7% of the 75,499 Nissan Elgrand MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 22.3% fail rate, across model years 1994–2024.
What does the Nissan Elgrand most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 12.6% of tests, then suspension (9.9%).
Which Elgrand years are best and worst for MOT results?
2010 has the best pass rate at 81.8% and 2016 the weakest at 72.0%, from 3,757 and 3,443 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Elgrand MOT results?
Fail rates run at 12.1% for cars in the 0-30k band and 31.0% for 150k+, a 18.9-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Elgrand more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 21.7% of the time against 32.6% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 75,499 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.