Pass rate
79.0%
Around average — 6.8 pts ahead of the 72.2% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 105 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £30–£85
2004 Nissan 300 Zx MOT pass rate
- 2004
- typical 92,383 mi
Most common fault
Lamps & electrics
20.3% of faults · 12.2% nationally
Part only £6–£18 for Registration plate lamp inoperative (multiple lamps). What fitting it takes →
Which year to buy
- Best 2007 88.7% pass
- Avoid 2005 77.1% pass
Across the 6 years on record, a spread of 11.6 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 76.8%
- Typical mileage
- 92k mi
The 2004 Nissan 300 Zx MOT pass rate is 79.0% of its MOT tests — 6.8 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. Lamps & electrics is the biggest single reason it fails, at 20.3% of what testers record.
Check your postcode
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Nissan 300 Zx does in your corner of the country.
Expert verdict
Lamps & electrics: 1.7× the national share
Lamps & electrics make up 20.3% of everything recorded on the 2004 Nissan 300 Zx, against 12.2% nationally — 8.1 points above. Walk round the car with the lights on before the test: bulbs, indicators and number-plate lamps are the cheapest failures to prevent and among the most common.
- Beats its own age and mileage. Once you allow for how old and how far these cars have been driven, the expected pass rate is 72.2% and this one manages 79.0% — 6.8 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict.
- Failures here tend to be cheap ones. 60% of the repairs this model fails on cost under £30 in parts. The pass rate matters less than what a bad afternoon at the test centre actually costs you.
Written from this page's own figures: fault shares against the national composition, the like-for-like pass rate, and the priced repair list. How these are worked out
Watching a Nissan 300 Zx? Get an email when these numbers change .
How does the 2004 Nissan 300 Zx compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 72.2%, so this figure is 6.8 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 76.8%. The median 2004 Nissan 300 Zx in this dataset had covered 92,383 mi.
Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 78.2% of the time, April–September 80.0%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated", noted on 5.71% of tests.
- 105 recorded tests behind this page.
- 79.0% overall pass rate, 76.8% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the Nissan 300 Zx, the average is 81.8% — best year 2007 (88.7%), worst 2005 (77.1%).
Figures count every completed test on this vehicle-year in the dataset, including retests. See methodology for the exact definition.
This page's data
- Tests analysed
- 105
- Typical mileage (median)
- 92,383 mi
- Make and model
- Nissan 300 Zx
- Updated
- 2026-11-05
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Ball Joint
Usually a DIY or independent-garage job.
Does mileage affect the 300 Zx MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 62% so small gaps stay visible.
Regional pass rates for the 300 Zx
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 20 | 85.0% |
| South West | 20 | 75.0% |
Regions come from the postcode area recorded at the test station. Areas on region borders are assigned to the region with the majority of their population.
What fails a 2004 300 Zx
Everything a tester recorded on this vehicle, grouped into the inspection sections that produced it. The notch on each bar is the national share, so you can see at a glance whether this car is unusual or just ordinary.
A test can record several items, so these percentages do not add up to 100%. The exact strings, with prices, are in the full DVSA record at the bottom of this page.
Before your test
Three checks worth doing on a 2004 300 Zx
These are not generic tips — they are the faults recorded most often on this exact model, rewritten as things you can check yourself. All three take about ten minutes and cost nothing.
-
Check the suspension joints 5.7% of tests
“ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated”
With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.
-
Check the battery 4.8% of tests
“battery(ies) insecure”
Check the battery is secure and its terminals are clean and tight — a loose battery is a fail on its own, and a weak one shows up as slow cranking on a cold morning.
-
Check the lights 4.8% of tests
“registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”
Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.
Shares are the proportion of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item, so they overlap: one test can record several.
What it costs to get a 2004 300 Zx through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £30–£85 — and 60% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £30–£85
- Cheapest common item: washers not working
- £5–£15
- Dearest common item: component mounting prescribed areas…
- £180–£450
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 80%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 60%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 105 MOT tests on this vehicle. They exclude diagnostics, retest fees and garage labour where the part is a DIY fit, and they are not figures from the DVSA dataset. Older and higher-mileage examples cost more than the average. How these estimates are built → · All MOT repair costs → · Cheapest cars to put through a test →
Every year of the 300 Zx, side by side
6 model years on record, from 2002 to 2007. Across them the pass rate runs from 77.1% to 88.7% — a spread of 11.6 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2002 82.5% ball joint dust cover severely…
- 2003 84.1% catalyst emissions lambda reading…
- 2004 79.0%ball joint dust cover severely…
- 2005 77.1% rear fog lamp not working
- 2006 82.0% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2007 88.7% steering rack gaiter damaged or…
Colour is the pass rate on a fixed scale, so a block means the same thing on any model. Each year links to its own page with the full fault breakdown.
Compare the 2004 Nissan 300 Zx with another year
The raw pass rate mostly measures age. The year comparison adds the like-for-like figure, the mileage bands and the repair bill.
Other 2004 cars with a similar record
- BMW 645 78.8%
- Toyota Alphard 79.2%
- BMW Z4 78.3%
- Toyota Prius 78.3%
- Smart Roadster 78.3%
- BMW 530 78.1%
Closest pass rates among 2004 cars with at least 2,000 tests, so a small sample cannot flatter itself into the list. See the full rankings: best and worst MOT pass rates.
The full DVSA record for the 2004 Nissan 300 Zx 10 failure items · 6 advisories · 10 inspection categories · mileage brackets · all of it in the page, none of it above the fold
Every inspection category
Shares of the 273 individual items recorded on this vehicle, and the same share across all cars nationally. A single test can record several items, so a row is not a percentage of tests.
| Category | Items | This car | Nationally | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 56 | 20.30% | 12.21% | +8.09 |
| Suspension | 55 | 19.90% | 20.98% | −1.08 |
| Brakes | 41 | 14.90% | 20.89% | −5.99 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 34 | 12.30% | 5.52% | +6.78 |
| Tyres | 28 | 10.10% | 19.76% | −9.66 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 24 | 8.70% | 5.57% | +3.13 |
| Visibility | 12 | 4.30% | 4.97% | −0.67 |
| Non-component advisories | 9 | 3.30% | 4.18% | −0.88 |
| Steering | 8 | 2.90% | 2.57% | +0.33 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 6 | 2.20% | 1.76% | +0.44 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated Suspension | Minor | 5.7% | £18–45 |
| Battery(ies) insecure but not likely to fall from carrier Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 4.8% | £60–140 |
| Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 4.8% | £5–20 |
| Washers not working Visibility | Major | 4.8% | £5–15 |
| Headlamp not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 3.8% | £5–25 |
| Position lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 3.8% | £5–25 |
| Rear fog lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 3.8% | £3–15 |
| Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 2.9% | £60–250 |
| Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Suspension | Major | 2.9% | £180–450 |
| Horn not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 2.9% | £8–25 |
Severity is as recorded: Major and Dangerous fail the test outright; Minor and Advisory do not. Costs are estimates from typical UK parts prices — see how they are built.
What testers noted without failing the car
Advisories are the early warnings — the same parts a year or two before they fail. Reading them is how you tell a car that has been maintained from one that has been patched.
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Advisory | 17.1% | £80–180 |
| Engine oil leaks leaking excessively from engine Noise, emissions and leaks | Advisory | 16.2% | £200–700 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 13.3% | £45–95 |
| Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | Advisory | 9.5% | £40–150 |
| Brake discs in such a condition that it is seriously weakened Brakes | Advisory | 7.6% | £45–110 |
| Sub-frame corroded and seriously weakened Suspension | Advisory | 7.6% | £180–450 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 8 | 75.0% | 23,499 mi |
| 30-60k | 14 | 85.7% | 54,793 mi |
| 60-90k | 27 | 81.5% | 78,623 mi |
| 90-120k | 39 | 79.5% | 101,045 mi |
| 120k+ | 17 | 70.6% | 148,434 mi |
Source: 105 recorded tests on this vehicle-year. Every row above is recomputed from the same DVSA extract as the rest of the page — see the methodology.
2004 300 Zx MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2004 Nissan 300 Zx?
79.0% of the 105 2004 Nissan 300 Zx tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 72.2% for cars first used in 2004. First-attempt pass rate: 76.8%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2004 Nissan 300 Zx?
The three most recorded items are ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.71%), battery(ies) insecure but not likely to fall from carrier (4.76%), registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.76%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2004 Nissan 300 Zx MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 75.0% of the time, falling to 70.6% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2004 Nissan 300 Zx in this dataset had covered 92,383 mi.
Does the season affect the 2004 Nissan 300 Zx MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 78.2% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 80.0%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.