Nissan Primastar MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 28 model years and 71,120 tests, the Nissan Primastar passes its MOT 68.2% of the time. That is 3.7 percentage points worse than vans of a similar age, which fail at 28.0%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Primastar years
Ranked across Primastar 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
The strongest year on this record is 2014 (71.0% pass rate); the weakest is 2003 (65.9%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (20.5%) and suspension (18.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are track rod end, ball joint and position lamp — track rod end alone was recorded 7,018 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 16.6% in the 0-30k band and 32.6% in the 150k+ band, a 16.0-point spread.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 37.8% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 32.0% in 2021 to 30.2% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Primastar model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 325 | 64.0% | 36.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 3,876 | 65.9% | 34.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 6,260 | 67.1% | 32.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 7,964 | 67.3% | 32.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 8,535 | 68.6% | 31.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 10,240 | 68.2% | 31.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 6,888 | 68.2% | 31.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 5,766 | 68.4% | 31.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 3,242 | 67.6% | 32.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 6,980 | 67.7% | 32.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 3,570 | 68.6% | 31.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 3,578 | 68.7% | 31.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 3,027 | 71.0% | 29.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 765 | 85.8% | 14.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2023 | 55 | 87.3% | 12.7% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 20.5% | 14,592 |
| 2 | Suspension | 18.0% | 12,801 |
| 3 | Brakes | 15.4% | 10,974 |
| 4 | Steering | 9.5% | 6,739 |
| 5 | Visibility | 8.0% | 5,653 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.3% | 4,448 |
| 7 | Tyres | 5.0% | 3,526 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 3.4% | 2,428 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Track rod end | 7,018 |
| 2 | Ball joint | 6,900 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 6,005 |
| 4 | Rbt (sp) | 5,417 |
| 5 | Rigid brake pipes | 4,083 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 4,038 |
| 7 | Stop lamp | 4,002 |
| 8 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 3,283 |
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 | 37.8% | 26,900 |
| 2 | Suspension | 30.4% | 21,629 |
| 3 | Tyres | 24.4% | 17,330 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 19.9% | 14,151 |
| 5 | Other defects | 17.3% | 12,281 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 11.9% | 8,474 |
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 | 559 | 16.6% |
| 30-60k | 2,570 | 24.3% |
| 60-90k | 7,580 | 29.4% |
| 90-120k | 14,356 | 31.4% |
| 120-150k | 18,474 | 33.1% |
| 150k+ | 27,401 | 32.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 71,005 | 31.8% |
| Petrol | 114 | 34.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 17,130 | 32.0% |
| 2022 | 15,770 | 31.7% |
| 2023 | 14,370 | 32.1% |
| 2024 | 12,452 | 32.6% |
| 2025 | 11,398 | 30.2% |
What to check before buying a Nissan Primastar
- Lighting & signalling (20.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (18.0% 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.
- Brakes (15.4% 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 Primastar?
68.2% of the 71,120 Nissan Primastar MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 31.8% fail rate, across model years 1997–2024.
What does the Nissan Primastar most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 20.5% of tests, then suspension (18.0%).
Which Primastar years are best and worst for MOT results?
2014 has the best pass rate at 71.0% and 2003 the weakest at 65.9%, from 3,027 and 3,876 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Primastar MOT results?
Fail rates run at 16.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 32.6% for 150k+, a 16.0-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 71,120 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.