Nissan NV200 MOT failure rate and common faults
24,767 Nissan NV200 vans aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 44.8% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 29.6% of the time, which makes the Nissan NV200 51% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
44.8%
failed first time
24,767 MOT tests in 2025
+51%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 29.6%
21 of 24
age adjusted rank
among vans and pickups; 1 fails least
126.6
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 108.2
What fails on a Nissan NV200 MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Nissan NV200 MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 141.2 |
| Ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 120.4 |
| Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 73.9 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 53.7 |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | Lights and electrics | 51.4 |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 46.6 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 45.3 |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 44.6 |
| Individual direction indicators: incorrect colour | Lights and electrics | 40.7 |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights and electrics | 38.5 |
Nissan NV200 MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 783 | 38.4% | 16.5% | 68,800 |
| 2018 | 1,709 | 41.2% | 19.1% | 71,600 |
| 2017 | 2,237 | 35.9% | 21.8% | 69,800 |
| 2016 | 3,197 | 41.8% | 25.1% | 84,000 |
| 2015 | 3,985 | 44.9% | 28.1% | 95,700 |
| 2014 | 2,822 | 48.7% | 31.4% | 105,500 |
| 2013 | 3,611 | 48.3% | 34.3% | 116,000 |
| 2012 | 2,662 | 49.8% | 36.6% | 122,200 |
| 2011 | 2,015 | 50.9% | 38.8% | 128,300 |
| 2010 | 1,103 | 48.2% | 40.7% | 127,400 |
Advisories to look for in a Nissan NV200's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Nissan NV200, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge317.9
- Linkage ball joints: ball joint has slight play172.9
- Ball joint has slight play104.7
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement90.9
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material86.3
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened78.9
Checking a used Nissan NV200 before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Nissan NV200 fails more often than average on lights and electrics, suspension and brakes. Start there.
Lights and electrics
Walk round the car with every light on: headlights on dip and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and the number plate lamp. A pattern of electrical faults costs more than a bulb.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Brakes
Look through the wheel spokes at the discs for a deep lip or scoring, check the handbrake holds the car on a slope, and feel for a pull to one side when braking hard.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Nissan NV200 vans tested: Diesel 87%, Electric 11%. Average age at test 10.6 years, average recorded mileage 99,100.
Nissan NV200 MOT questions
What is the Nissan NV200 MOT failure rate?
44.8% of Nissan NV200 vans failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 24,767 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 29.6% of the time, so the Nissan NV200 was 51% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Nissan NV200 MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 508 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Position lamp: not working", recorded 141.2 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Nissan NV200 year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2010 registrations did best: 48.2% failed against an average of 40.7% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Nissan NV200 will pass?
No. These are averages across every Nissan NV200 tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Nissan models
- Nissan Qashqai31.1% failed
- Nissan Juke30.3% failed
- Nissan Micra35.0% failed
- Nissan Note36.9% failed
- Nissan X-Trail30.1% failed
- Nissan Navara32.9% failed
Ranked close to the Nissan NV200
- Renault Traficrank 18
- Vauxhall Vivarorank 19
- Citroen Berlingorank 20
- Ford Transit Customrank 22
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Nissan NV200 vans of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.