Pass rate
89.5%
Above average — 12.3 pts ahead of the 77.2% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 333 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £45–£140
2012 Nissan 370 Z MOT pass rate
- 2012
- typical 58,801 mi
Most common fault
Suspension
25.7% of faults · 21.0% nationally
mostly worn arm bushes, split ball-joint boots and broken coil springs.
Which year to buy
- Best 2018 96.0% pass
- Avoid 2009 83.4% pass
Across the 12 years on record, a spread of 12.6 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 88.5%
- Typical mileage
- 59k mi
The 2012 Nissan 370 Z MOT pass rate is 89.5% of its MOT tests — 12.3 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. Suspension is the biggest single reason it fails, at 25.7% of what testers record.
Check your postcode
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Nissan 370 Z does in your corner of the country.
Expert verdict
Tyres: 1.3× the national share
Tyres make up 25.1% of everything recorded on the 2012 Nissan 370 Z, against 19.8% nationally — 5.3 points above. Suspension is still the single largest share at 25.7%, but at 21.0% nationally that one is ordinary. Check all four tyres yourself, including the inner shoulders, and look at the date stamp — a tyre can pass on tread and still be six years old.
- 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 77.2% and this one manages 89.5% — 12.3 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict.
- When it fails, it costs. Only 30% of this model’s typical repairs come in under £30 in parts — the failures here tend to be the kind that need a garage rather than a bulb.
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 370 Z? Get an email when these numbers change .
How does the 2012 Nissan 370 Z compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 77.2%, so this figure is 12.3 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 88.5%. The median 2012 Nissan 370 Z in this dataset had covered 58,801 mi.
Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 90.9% of the time, April–September 88.1%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits", noted on 1.80% of tests.
- 333 recorded tests behind this page.
- 89.5% overall pass rate, 88.5% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the Nissan 370 Z, the average is 87.9% — best year 2018 (96.0%), worst 2009 (83.4%).
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
- 333
- Typical mileage (median)
- 58,801 mi
- Make and model
- Nissan 370 Z
- Updated
- 2026-11-05
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Emissions Repair
Typically a garage job — get quotes before committing.
Does mileage affect the 370 Z MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 75% so small gaps stay visible.
Regional pass rates for the 370 Z
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 88 | 93.2% |
| East of England | 38 | 86.8% |
| East Midlands | 35 | 82.9% |
| Yorkshire | 33 | 93.9% |
| Scotland | 30 | 90.0% |
| North West | 29 | 79.3% |
| West Midlands | 22 | 90.9% |
| North East | 18 | 88.9% |
| South West | 16 | 87.5% |
| London | 16 | 93.8% |
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 2012 370 Z
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 2012 370 Z
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 exhaust and emissions 1.8% of tests
“catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits”
Listen for a blow at idle and have someone rev it gently. Then look at the tailpipe smoke: blue is oil, white when warm is coolant, black is over-fuelling. Any of those and the emissions test is the least of it.
-
Check the lights 1.5% of tests
“malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction”
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.
-
Check the brake pipes 1.2% of tests
“rigid brake pipes excessively corroded”
Brake pipes run under the car, usually in front of the rear wheels. Flaking or crusty metal is what fails; a light dusting of surface rust does not. Worth asking a garage to look while it is on a ramp.
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 2012 370 Z through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £45–£140 — and 30% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £45–£140
- Cheapest common item: malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or…
- £3–£12
- Dearest common item: catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content…
- £60–£250
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 50%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 30%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 333 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 370 Z, side by side
12 model years on record, from 2009 to 2020. Across them the pass rate runs from 83.4% to 96.0% — a spread of 12.6 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2009 83.4% headlamp lens slightly defective
- 2010 86.6% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2011 88.4% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2012 89.5%catalyst emissions carbon…
- 2013 89.9% headlamp lens slightly defective
- 2014 87.2% catalyst emissions lambda reading…
- 2015 91.1% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2016 90.3% catalyst emissions lambda reading…
- 2017 92.9% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2018 96.0% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2019 92.9% catalyst emissions lambda reading…
- 2020 95.5% headlamp aim too far to the right
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 2012 Nissan 370 Z 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 2012 cars with a similar record
- Honda Fit 89.3%
- Audi A8 90.2%
- Toyota Estima 88.3%
- Lexus Rx 88.3%
- Lexus RX450H 88.0%
- Porsche Boxster 91.6%
Closest pass rates among 2012 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 2012 Nissan 370 Z 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 349 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 90 | 25.70% | 20.98% | +4.72 |
| Tyres | 88 | 25.10% | 19.76% | +5.34 |
| Brakes | 65 | 18.60% | 20.89% | −2.29 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 27 | 7.70% | 5.57% | +2.13 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 25 | 7.10% | 12.21% | −5.11 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 25 | 7.10% | 5.52% | +1.58 |
| Visibility | 14 | 4.00% | 4.97% | −0.97 |
| Steering | 7 | 2.00% | 2.57% | −0.57 |
| Non-component advisories | 5 | 1.40% | 4.18% | −2.78 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 3 | 0.90% | 1.76% | −0.86 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 1.8% | £60–250 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 1.5% | £3–12 |
| Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 1.2% | £60–250 |
| Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | Major | 1.2% | £45–95 |
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Major | 1.2% | £80–180 |
| Headlamp lens slightly defective Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 0.90% | £5–25 |
| Tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative Tyres | Major | 0.90% | £45–95 |
| Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view Visibility | Minor | 0.90% | £80–200 |
| Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | Major | 0.90% | £8–22 |
| Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 0.60% | £60–250 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 13.5% | £45–95 |
| Linkage ball joints ball joint excessively worn Suspension | Advisory | 8.7% | £18–45 |
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Advisory | 8.4% | £80–180 |
| Sub-frame corroded and seriously weakened Suspension | Advisory | 7.5% | £180–450 |
| Has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | Advisory | 6.0% | £45–95 |
| Brake discs in such a condition that it is seriously weakened Brakes | Advisory | 5.7% | £45–110 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 38 | 97.4% | 19,878 mi |
| 30-60k | 135 | 92.6% | 46,454 mi |
| 60-90k | 117 | 83.8% | 71,727 mi |
| 90-120k | 38 | 86.8% | 100,853 mi |
| 120k+ | 5 | 100.0% | 130,122 mi |
Source: 333 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.
2012 370 Z MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2012 Nissan 370 Z?
89.5% of the 333 2012 Nissan 370 Z tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 77.2% for cars first used in 2012. First-attempt pass rate: 88.5%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2012 Nissan 370 Z?
The three most recorded items are catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (1.80%), malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction (1.50%), catalyst emissions lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (1.20%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2012 Nissan 370 Z MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 97.4% of the time, falling to 100.0% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2012 Nissan 370 Z in this dataset had covered 58,801 mi.
Does the season affect the 2012 Nissan 370 Z MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 90.9% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 88.1%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.