Car
Ford Kuga
86.0%
pass rate across 990,804 tests
83.9% first-time pass rate
Ford Kuga vs Nissan Qashqai
The two cars compared on 3,080,399 real MOT tests: pass rates, first-time passes, the failures each is known for, repair costs and how both have moved year by year.
Car
Nissan Qashqai
78.9%
pass rate across 2,089,595 tests
73.8% first-time pass rate
The short answer
Ford Kuga has the stronger MOT record
Across 3,080,399 tests, the Ford Kuga has the stronger first-time record: 83.9% against 73.8%, a 10.1-point gap. On all MOTs the Ford Kuga is ahead at 86.0% versus 78.9%. Even after adjusting for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Ford Kuga is +1.7 points against its expected rate, the Nissan Qashqai −3.2. A typical repair bill is similar: £28–£69 for the Ford Kuga and £26–£72 for the Nissan Qashqai; at their pass rates that is roughly £385–£967 versus £556–£1,516 per 100 tests. The costliest common failure on the Nissan Qashqai is Child seat fitted, preventing full inspection at 4.3% of tests, up to £80 to fix.
- First-time pass: 83.9% vs 73.8%.
- All MOTs: 86.0% vs 78.9%.
- Like-for-like: +1.7 vs −3.2 points.
- Typical repair bill: £28–£69 vs £26–£72.
- At 90,000–120,000 miles: 78.7% vs 70.1%.
| Measure | Kuga | Qashqai |
|---|---|---|
| MOT tests on record | 990,804 | 2,089,595 |
| Pass rate, all MOTs | 86.0% stronger figure | 78.9% |
| First-time pass rate | 83.9% stronger figure | 73.8% |
| Against the UK average | +5.0 pts stronger figure | −2.1 pts |
| Like-for-like, age and mileage adjusted | +1.7 pts stronger figure | −3.2 pts |
| Average mileage at test | 71,818 mi | 74,565 mi |
| Model years on record | 2008–2023 (16) | 2006–2023 (18) |
| Best model year | 2023 · 96.0% | 2023 · 94.7% |
| Worst model year | 2009 · 74.9% | 2009 · 65.8% |
| Typical repair bill | £28–£69 stronger figure | £26–£72 |
| Expected repair spend per 100 tests | £385–£967 stronger figure | £556–£1,516 |
| Main fuel | Diesel 78% | Diesel 50% |
| Variants recorded | 16 | 12 |
A ✓ marks the stronger figure in each row. It is a comparison between the two cars, not a judgement against the national average.
What goes wrong most often
The most common priced failures on each model, as a share of all its tests. Repair costs are estimates from UK parts data, not quotes.
Qashqai
- Track rod end excessive play 8.2% £18–£45
- Ball joint excessively worn 7.4% £18–£45
- Child seat fitted, preventing full inspection 4.3% £20–£80
- Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated 4.3% £18–£45
Year by year
The newest 8 years with published results. A model's headline rate hides a wide spread between its best and worst years.
| Model year | Kuga | Qashqai |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 86.7% · 113,311 tests | 82.5% · 207,181 tests |
| 2017 | 88.7% · 122,346 tests | 85.1% · 205,298 tests |
| 2018 | 89.4% · 126,329 tests | 87.0% · 158,633 tests |
| 2019 | 90.0% · 132,120 tests | 89.7% · 162,832 tests |
| 2020 | 91.9% · 48,380 tests | 92.5% · 100,031 tests |
| 2021 | 92.4% · 44,231 tests | 92.7% · 53,838 tests |
| 2022 | 94.0% · 27,024 tests | 93.1% · 36,789 tests |
| 2023 | 96.0% · 1,248 tests | 94.7% · 1,508 tests |
Does the pass rate hold at higher mileage?
Pass rate by the mileage recorded at test, pooled across every published year. A car that stays strong past 90,000 miles is doing something right.
| Mileage | Kuga | Qashqai |
|---|---|---|
| 0–30,000 mi | 93.4% · 160,959 tests | 93.6% · 240,145 tests |
| 30,000–60,000 mi | 89.4% · 348,898 tests | 86.1% · 583,511 tests |
| 60,000–90,000 mi | 84.2% · 258,229 tests | 77.6% · 574,412 tests |
| 90,000–120,000 mi | 78.7% · 139,934 tests | 70.1% · 416,129 tests |
| 120k+ | 75.7% · 81,470 tests | 66.5% · 274,805 tests |
What to check before you buy
Ford Kuga
- The weakest year on record is 2009 at 74.9%; check that generation's MOT history closely.
Nissan Qashqai
- Track rod end excessive play — 8.2% of tests, £18–£45 to put right.
- Ball joint excessively worn — 7.4% of tests, £18–£45 to put right.
- The weakest year on record is 2009 at 65.8%; check that generation's MOT history closely.
Both columns cover every published year for the model. Pass rates are test-weighted, so a model with more recent tests is not dragged down by its oldest ones. Repair figures are estimates from UK parts data; a garage quote is the only number that matters for a specific car. The same car can be tested in more than one year, so these are test outcomes, not a count of individual vehicles.
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