Nissan Navara MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 28 model years and 432,244 tests, the Nissan Navara passes its MOT 78.3% of the time. That is 1.6 percentage points worse than pick-up trucks of a similar age, which fail at 20.1%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Navara years
Ranked across Navara 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 — 88.4% of 2021 examples pass against 69.9% of 2006 ones.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (11.0%) and suspension (9.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, coil spring and ball joint — position lamp alone was recorded 17,558 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 10.6% in the 0-30k band and 29.2% in the 150k+ band, a 18.6-point spread — more than double.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 21.8% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Navara model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 32 | 75.0% | 25.0% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 2000 | 90 | 73.3% | 26.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 501 | 70.5% | 29.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 890 | 71.2% | 28.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 2,640 | 70.2% | 29.8% | Brakes |
| 2004 | 6,649 | 70.9% | 29.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 10,972 | 70.0% | 29.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 15,499 | 69.9% | 30.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 17,654 | 71.2% | 28.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 13,565 | 70.8% | 29.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 13,518 | 70.2% | 29.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 13,528 | 71.7% | 28.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 27,615 | 72.0% | 28.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 22,745 | 72.4% | 27.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 22,679 | 75.2% | 24.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 22,892 | 77.0% | 23.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 24,871 | 78.2% | 21.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 46,666 | 83.2% | 16.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 54,959 | 80.9% | 19.1% | Suspension |
| 2018 | 48,446 | 83.2% | 16.9% | Suspension |
| 2019 | 35,134 | 85.1% | 14.9% | Suspension |
| 2020 | 14,970 | 86.3% | 13.7% | Brakes |
| 2021 | 15,564 | 88.4% | 11.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 135 | 93.3% | 6.7% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 11.0% | 47,573 |
| 2 | Suspension | 9.2% | 39,841 |
| 3 | Brakes | 6.8% | 29,272 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.2% | 22,307 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.7% | 20,472 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 4.2% | 18,014 |
| 7 | Steering | 3.1% | 13,581 |
| 8 | Tyres | 3.1% | 13,239 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Position lamp | 17,558 |
| 2 | Coil spring | 16,941 |
| 3 | Ball joint | 16,391 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 15,545 |
| 5 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 14,197 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 13,423 |
| 7 | Track rod end | 13,263 |
| 8 | Wipers | 12,012 |
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 | 21.8% | 94,063 |
| 2 | Suspension | 17.9% | 77,267 |
| 3 | Tyres | 17.7% | 76,381 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 11.5% | 49,538 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 10.4% | 44,965 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 9.0% | 38,832 |
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 | 30,367 | 10.6% |
| 30-60k | 94,946 | 15.5% |
| 60-90k | 103,310 | 20.5% |
| 90-120k | 90,153 | 25.0% |
| 120-150k | 63,319 | 27.9% |
| 150k+ | 49,734 | 29.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 432,038 | 21.7% |
| Petrol | 206 | 24.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 81,167 | 21.4% |
| 2022 | 87,301 | 21.5% |
| 2023 | 88,099 | 21.9% |
| 2024 | 90,309 | 21.6% |
| 2025 | 85,368 | 22.3% |
What to check before buying a Nissan Navara
- Lighting & signalling (11.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (9.2% 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 (6.8% 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 Navara?
78.3% of the 432,244 Nissan Navara MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 21.7% fail rate, across model years 1996–2023.
What does the Nissan Navara most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.0% of tests, then suspension (9.2%).
Which Navara years are best and worst for MOT results?
2021 has the best pass rate at 88.4% and 2006 the weakest at 69.9%, from 15,564 and 15,499 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Navara MOT results?
Fail rates run at 10.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 29.2% for 150k+, a 18.6-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 432,244 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.