Nissan Leaf MOT pass rate & common failures
219,382 MOT tests on the Nissan Leaf (2010–2024) give it an 86.6% pass rate. That is 1.2 percentage points worse than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 12.2%. Its most common failure areas are tyres, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Leaf years
Ranked across Leaf 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
Not every year is equal — 93.9% of 2022 examples pass against 74.0% of 2013 ones.
No single area dominates — tyres (5.5%) and suspension (5.1%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are ball joint, wipers and tread depth — ball joint alone was recorded 9,002 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 23.2% versus 6.2%.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 11.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 14.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Leaf model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2,794 | 76.2% | 23.8% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 3,014 | 76.0% | 24.0% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 8,274 | 74.0% | 26.0% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 19,545 | 76.7% | 23.3% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 24,677 | 80.1% | 19.9% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 23,791 | 83.1% | 16.9% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 28,405 | 87.3% | 12.7% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 28,120 | 90.4% | 9.6% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 23,607 | 91.7% | 8.3% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 27,085 | 92.0% | 8.0% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 19,918 | 92.9% | 7.1% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 9,845 | 93.9% | 6.1% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 251 | 95.6% | 4.4% | Tyres |
| 2024 | 54 | 96.3% | 3.7% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.5% | 12,016 |
| 2 | Suspension | 5.1% | 11,099 |
| 3 | Brakes | 3.4% | 7,385 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.4% | 7,369 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 2.9% | 6,438 |
| 6 | Steering | 0.7% | 1,577 |
| 7 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.3% | 678 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.3% | 544 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball joint | 9,002 |
| 2 | Wipers | 6,336 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 5,714 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 2,920 |
| 5 | Washers | 2,865 |
| 6 | Rbt (sp) | 2,172 |
| 7 | Service brake performance | 2,076 |
| 8 | Pins and bushes | 2,067 |
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 | 24.0% | 52,629 |
| 2 | Brakes | 18.4% | 40,416 |
| 3 | Suspension | 11.1% | 24,276 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.5% | 14,165 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.6% | 7,858 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.2% | 2,605 |
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 | 75,507 | 6.2% |
| 30-60k | 91,677 | 14.1% |
| 60-90k | 38,494 | 22.0% |
| 90-120k | 10,228 | 24.8% |
| 120-150k | 2,608 | 24.4% |
| 150k+ | 850 | 23.2% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 28,698 | 11.5% |
| 2022 | 34,677 | 12.3% |
| 2023 | 42,872 | 13.3% |
| 2024 | 51,981 | 14.1% |
| 2025 | 61,154 | 14.5% |
What to check before buying a Nissan Leaf
- Tyres (5.5% 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.
- Suspension (5.1% 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 (3.4% 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 Leaf?
86.6% of the 219,382 Nissan Leaf MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 13.4% fail rate, across model years 2010–2024.
What does the Nissan Leaf most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 5.5% of tests, then suspension (5.1%).
Which Leaf years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 93.9% and 2013 the weakest at 74.0%, from 9,845 and 8,274 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Leaf MOT results?
Fail rates run at 6.2% for cars in the 0-30k band and 23.2% for 150k+, a 17.0-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 219,382 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.