2017 Nissan Note — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 28,865 MOT tests, the 2017 Nissan Note recorded a 90.5% pass rate. That is 3.8 percentage points better than superminis of a similar age, which fail at 13.3%. Failures cluster in visibility, tyres and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — visibility (3.5%) and tyres (3.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, tread depth and headlamp aim — wipers alone was recorded 1,057 times.
A 120-150k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 22.0% versus 6.4%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 8.7% fail against 12.5% for diesel, a 3.8-point gap across 28,810 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 20.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 7.7% of tests failed in 2021 against 12.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visibility | 3.5% | 1,016 |
| 2 | Tyres | 3.4% | 985 |
| 3 | Suspension | 2.8% | 809 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 2.7% | 767 |
| 5 | Brakes | 1.9% | 557 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.2% | 337 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 1,057 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 531 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 452 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 313 |
| 5 | Wheel bearings | 276 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 260 |
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 | 20.4% | 5,902 |
| 2 | Brakes | 13.1% | 3,781 |
| 3 | Suspension | 10.5% | 3,030 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.8% | 1,662 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.0% | 879 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.0% | 870 |
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 | 12,783 | 6.4% |
| 30-60k | 12,316 | 10.4% |
| 60-90k | 3,043 | 15.8% |
| 90-120k | 576 | 22.1% |
| 120-150k | 118 | 22.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 22,531 | 8.7% |
| Diesel | 6,279 | 12.5% |
| Hybrid | 54 | 7.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5,919 | 7.7% |
| 2022 | 5,660 | 8.0% |
| 2023 | 5,718 | 9.2% |
| 2024 | 5,697 | 10.4% |
| 2025 | 5,871 | 12.3% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Note
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: visibility accounted for 3.5% of tests. Start there.
- Visibility (3.5% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
- Tyres (3.4% 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.
- Suspension (2.8% 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.
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 2017 Nissan Notes pass their MOT?
90.5% of the 28,865 2017 Nissan Note MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 9.5% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Nissan Note?
Visibility, recorded in 3.5% of tests, followed by tyres (3.4%).
Does the 2017 Note get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.4% in the 0-30k band to 22.0% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 28,865 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.