2013 Nissan Note — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2013 Nissan Note passed 79.7% of its 73,265 recorded MOT tests. That is effectively the same as superminis of a similar age (21.1% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (13.0%) and lighting & signalling (11.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, position lamp and pins and bushes — coil spring alone was recorded 4,159 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 27.6% versus 10.7%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 19.4% fail against 23.3% for diesel, a 3.9-point gap across 73,263 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 27.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 18.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 22.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 13.0% | 9,534 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 11.4% | 8,354 |
| 3 | Tyres | 4.4% | 3,223 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.0% | 2,900 |
| 5 | Brakes | 3.4% | 2,504 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.6% | 1,135 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 4,159 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 4,072 |
| 3 | Pins and bushes | 3,726 |
| 4 | Ball joint | 3,464 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 2,663 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 2,553 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 27.1% | 19,823 |
| 2 | Tyres | 25.5% | 18,665 |
| 3 | Brakes | 18.3% | 13,416 |
| 4 | Other defects | 7.9% | 5,818 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 5.2% | 3,803 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 4.5% | 3,297 |
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 | 6,232 | 10.7% |
| 30-60k | 28,678 | 17.1% |
| 60-90k | 24,546 | 22.8% |
| 90-120k | 10,281 | 26.3% |
| 120-150k | 2,675 | 28.5% |
| 150k+ | 840 | 27.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 57,426 | 19.4% |
| Diesel | 15,837 | 23.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14,451 | 18.3% |
| 2022 | 14,430 | 18.7% |
| 2023 | 14,721 | 20.7% |
| 2024 | 14,830 | 21.5% |
| 2025 | 14,833 | 22.1% |
What to check before buying a 2013 Note
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 13.0% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (13.0% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (11.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (4.4% 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.
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 2013 Nissan Notes pass their MOT?
79.7% of the 73,265 2013 Nissan Note MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 20.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2013 Nissan Note?
Suspension, recorded in 13.0% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (11.4%).
Does the 2013 Note get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.7% in the 0-30k band to 27.6% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 73,265 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.