Nissan Primastar MOT Check

MOT pass rates, common failures, and reliability data for the Nissan Primastar. Check any Primastar by registration number below.

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56.1%

Avg Pass Rate

-25.1%

vs Nissan Avg

Year Ranges

Below Average

Reliability

Nissan Primastar — MOT Reliability Overview

The Nissan Primastar has an average MOT pass rate of 56.1%, which is 25.1 percentage points below the Nissan brand average of 81.2%. This suggests the Primastar can be more maintenance-intensive than average. Pay close attention to the common failure points listed below if you are considering buying one.

The most common reasons a Nissan Primastar fails its MOT are a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning. If you are preparing your Primastar for its MOT, checking these areas first could save you a retest fee. Our detailed fault analysis includes estimated repair costs for each failure type.

Before buying a used Nissan Primastar, we recommend checking the full MOT history, write-off status, outstanding finance, and stolen vehicle status. These checks can be done for free using the registration number.

MOT Pass Rate by Year

How the Nissan Primastar performs at MOT across different model years.

2014

Based on 1,100 vehicles

59.4%Below Average

Nissan average: 81.2%

Dangerous Defects

9.0%

Retest Rate

38.2%

Mileage at 10yr

193k mi

2013

Based on 1,253 vehicles

56.8%Below Average

Nissan average: 81.2%

Dangerous Defects

11.9%

Retest Rate

41.8%

Mileage at 10yr

194k mi

2012

Based on 1,187 vehicles

53.6%Below Average

Nissan average: 81.2%

Dangerous Defects

11.3%

Retest Rate

44.6%

Mileage at 10yr

224k mi

2011

Based on 2,282 vehicles

53.4%Below Average

Nissan average: 81.2%

Dangerous Defects

10.5%

Retest Rate

44.8%

2010

Based on 1,081 vehicles

51.2%Below Average

Nissan average: 81.2%

Dangerous Defects

12.4%

Retest Rate

42.7%

2009

Based on 1,894 vehicles

56.7%Below Average

Nissan average: 81.2%

Dangerous Defects

11.2%

Retest Rate

39.3%

2008

Based on 2,276 vehicles

56.1%Below Average

Nissan average: 81.2%

Dangerous Defects

11.2%

Retest Rate

40.4%

2007

Based on 3,333 vehicles

56.5%Below Average

Nissan average: 81.2%

Dangerous Defects

11.5%

Retest Rate

38.0%

2006

Based on 2,784 vehicles

57.1%Below Average

Nissan average: 81.2%

Dangerous Defects

8.5%

Retest Rate

37.8%

2005

Based on 2,505 vehicles

55.1%Below Average

Nissan average: 81.2%

Dangerous Defects

9.2%

Retest Rate

38.2%

2004

Based on 1,976 vehicles

56.2%Below Average

Nissan average: 81.2%

Dangerous Defects

10.0%

Retest Rate

37.8%

2003

Based on 1,228 vehicles

53.7%Below Average

Nissan average: 81.2%

Dangerous Defects

10.2%

Retest Rate

35.3%

2002

Based on 94 vehicles

52.1%Below Average

Nissan average: 81.2%

Dangerous Defects

9.6%

Retest Rate

34.6%

0

Based on 15,714 vehicles

67.3%Average

Nissan average: 81.2%

Mileage at 5yr

140k mi

Top MOT Failures — Nissan Primastar

The most common reasons a Nissan Primastar fails its MOT, aggregated across all year ranges.

A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play

5.6%

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

4.7%

A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

4.6%

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

4.5%

Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded

4.1%

Nissan Primastar Common Faults & Repair Costs

Where Failures Occur

The areas of the vehicle most commonly flagged during MOT inspections.

Front Nearside

11.3%

Front Offside

10.1%

Rear Offside

7.0%

Other Nissan Models

Compare MOT reliability across Nissan models.

Nissan Skyline

92.4% pass rate

Nissan Patrol

74.5% pass rate

Nissan Vanette

41.8% pass rate

Nissan Qashqai (j10 )

93.3% pass rate

Nissan Serena

69.7% pass rate

Nissan Qashqai Tekna Dig-t Mhev

96.3% pass rate

Useful MOT Guides

Common MOT Failures

The most common reasons UK vehicles fail their MOT — and how to prepare.

MOT Checklist

Pre-MOT checklist to improve your chances of passing first time.

Advisory vs Failure

Understanding the difference between MOT advisories and failures.

See detailed fault analysis for Nissan Primastar

Nissan Primastar — Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the Nissan Primastar MOT and reliability.

What is the MOT pass rate for the Nissan Primastar?

The average MOT pass rate for the Nissan Primastar is 56.1% compared to the Nissan average of 81.2%. Pass rates vary by year — check the year-by-year breakdown on this page for details.

What are the most common MOT failures on a Nissan Primastar?

The most common MOT failures on the Nissan Primastar are: A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play (5.6%), A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn (4.7%), A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning (4.6%). These are the components most likely to cause an MOT failure.

Is the Nissan Primastar reliable?

With an average MOT pass rate of 56.1%, the Nissan Primastar is rated as "Below Average" for reliability. This suggests more frequent issues — pay close attention to the common failures listed on this page when buying or maintaining this model.

How do I check the MOT history of a Nissan Primastar?

Enter the vehicle's registration number in the search box at the top of this page. You will instantly see the complete MOT history including every test result, mileage readings, advisories, and dangerous defects — completely free.

What mileage should I expect on a Nissan Primastar?

Typical mileage for the Nissan Primastar: 192,535 miles at 10 years. Use these benchmarks when evaluating a used Primastar to spot vehicles with unusually high or low mileage.

Check Your Nissan Primastar's MOT History

Enter the registration number for the full MOT history — free and instant.