Nissan Pickup MOT pass rate & common failures
10,137 MOT tests on the Nissan Pickup (1983–2021) give it a 70.3% pass rate. All cars of a similar age fail 27.3% of the time, so this is 2.4pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and body, structure & corrosion.
Best and worst Pickup years
Ranked across Pickup 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 — 70.6% of 2004 examples pass against 67.6% of 2002 ones.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (16.0%) and brakes (14.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are service brake performance, chassis condition and position lamp — service brake performance alone was recorded 1,058 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 20.1% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 31.5% once past 150k.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 41.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 31.1% in 2021 to 27.1% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Pickup model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 77 | 72.7% | 27.3% | Suspension |
| 1999 | 240 | 70.0% | 30.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 262 | 67.9% | 32.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 535 | 71.6% | 28.4% | Brakes |
| 2002 | 1,018 | 67.6% | 32.4% | Brakes |
| 2003 | 1,847 | 69.7% | 30.3% | Brakes |
| 2004 | 2,883 | 70.6% | 29.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 1,173 | 70.1% | 29.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 649 | 71.7% | 28.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 545 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 283 | 73.9% | 26.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 499 | 70.1% | 29.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 45 | 71.1% | 28.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 42 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 16.0% | 1,623 |
| 2 | Brakes | 14.8% | 1,496 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 13.3% | 1,351 |
| 4 | Suspension | 13.1% | 1,329 |
| 5 | Visibility | 8.4% | 847 |
| 6 | Steering | 4.2% | 425 |
| 7 | Tyres | 3.6% | 366 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 2.9% | 291 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Service brake performance | 1,058 |
| 2 | Chassis condition | 762 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 709 |
| 4 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 637 |
| 5 | Rigid brake pipes | 622 |
| 6 | Ball joint | 620 |
| 7 | Headlamp aim | 581 |
| 8 | Exhaust system | 556 |
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 | 41.6% | 4,216 |
| 2 | Brakes | 39.1% | 3,969 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 31.4% | 3,178 |
| 4 | Tyres | 19.4% | 1,964 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 19.0% | 1,923 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 11.3% | 1,151 |
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 | 224 | 20.1% |
| 30-60k | 823 | 23.2% |
| 60-90k | 1,913 | 27.6% |
| 90-120k | 2,983 | 30.2% |
| 120-150k | 2,097 | 32.1% |
| 150k+ | 1,964 | 31.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 10,099 | 29.7% |
| Petrol | 38 | 28.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,839 | 31.1% |
| 2022 | 2,388 | 28.8% |
| 2023 | 1,996 | 29.6% |
| 2024 | 1,633 | 30.6% |
| 2025 | 1,281 | 27.1% |
What to check before buying a Nissan Pickup
- Lighting & signalling (16.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (14.8% 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.
- Body, structure & corrosion (13.3% of tests): The one to take seriously on older cars — corrosion to structural areas can be costly and is an MOT failure. Typical repair: £200–£1,500+.
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 Pickup?
70.3% of the 10,137 Nissan Pickup MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 29.7% fail rate, across model years 1983–2021.
What does the Nissan Pickup most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 16.0% of tests, then brakes (14.8%).
Which Pickup years are best and worst for MOT results?
2004 has the best pass rate at 70.6% and 2002 the weakest at 67.6%, from 2,883 and 1,018 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Pickup MOT results?
Fail rates run at 20.1% for cars in the 0-30k band and 31.5% for 150k+, a 11.4-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 10,137 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.