Nissan Qashqai MOT pass rate & common failures
The Nissan Qashqai appears in 3,363,758 MOT tests spanning model years 1980–2025, and 79.8% of them passed. Mid-size SUVs of a similar age fail 17.3% of the time, so this is 2.9pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
Best and worst Qashqai years
Ranked across Qashqai 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 2023 (94.9% pass rate); the weakest is 2008 (66.2%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — suspension (9.4%) and lighting & signalling (7.8%) 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 brake pads — track rod end alone was recorded 169,749 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 6.3% in the 0-30k band and 34.2% in the 150k+ band, a 27.9-point spread — more than double.
The hybrid cars hold up better: 7.0% fail against 22.6% for diesel, a 15.6-point gap across 1,828,596 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 26.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 18.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 21.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Qashqai model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 181 | 67.4% | 32.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 74,625 | 66.6% | 33.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 98,752 | 66.2% | 33.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 165,645 | 66.3% | 33.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 217,858 | 68.5% | 31.5% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 230,076 | 70.1% | 29.9% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 275,283 | 71.7% | 28.3% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 298,928 | 74.6% | 25.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 275,772 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 335,640 | 82.8% | 17.2% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 340,674 | 84.8% | 15.2% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 339,002 | 87.3% | 12.7% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 265,233 | 89.2% | 10.8% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 222,409 | 90.8% | 9.2% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 108,556 | 92.6% | 7.4% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 65,854 | 92.6% | 7.4% | Visibility |
| 2022 | 47,145 | 93.1% | 6.9% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 2,027 | 94.9% | 5.1% | Tyres |
| 2024 | 58 | 96.5% | 3.5% | Suspension |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 9.4% | 317,260 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 7.8% | 264,162 |
| 3 | Brakes | 5.9% | 199,617 |
| 4 | Tyres | 4.5% | 151,577 |
| 5 | Steering | 4.2% | 141,683 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.0% | 135,283 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.2% | 107,675 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 1.8% | 62,250 |
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 | 169,749 |
| 2 | Ball joint | 167,800 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 133,147 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 125,497 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 102,665 |
| 6 | Joints | 96,108 |
| 7 | Pins and bushes | 85,036 |
| 8 | Wipers | 82,971 |
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 | 26.4% | 887,471 |
| 2 | Brakes | 24.5% | 825,076 |
| 3 | Suspension | 20.3% | 683,155 |
| 4 | Other defects | 11.2% | 377,872 |
| 5 | Steering | 6.2% | 207,816 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 5.3% | 179,886 |
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 | 467,565 | 6.3% |
| 30-60k | 997,733 | 13.4% |
| 60-90k | 899,901 | 22.4% |
| 90-120k | 618,754 | 30.0% |
| 120-150k | 277,987 | 33.2% |
| 150k+ | 101,355 | 34.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 1,752,606 | 22.6% |
| Petrol | 1,535,114 | 18.1% |
| Hybrid | 75,990 | 7.0% |
| Electric | 30 | 30.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 583,259 | 18.5% |
| 2022 | 644,599 | 19.1% |
| 2023 | 681,947 | 20.1% |
| 2024 | 709,893 | 21.3% |
| 2025 | 744,060 | 21.4% |
What to check before buying a Nissan Qashqai
- Suspension (9.4% 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 (7.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (5.9% 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 Qashqai?
79.8% of the 3,363,758 Nissan Qashqai MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 20.2% fail rate, across model years 1980–2025.
What does the Nissan Qashqai most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 9.4% of tests, then lighting & signalling (7.8%).
Which Qashqai years are best and worst for MOT results?
2023 has the best pass rate at 94.9% and 2008 the weakest at 66.2%, from 2,027 and 98,752 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Qashqai MOT results?
Fail rates run at 6.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 34.2% for 150k+, a 27.9-point difference.
Is the hybrid or diesel Qashqai more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 7.0% of the time against 22.6% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 3,363,758 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.