Nissan Elgrand MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Nissan Elgrand MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Nissan Elgrand passed on its first attempt in 72.2%, and its overall record sits −3.6 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Nissan Elgrand in the 2023–2025 data: 48,135 tests across 22 model years (2000–2021). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Nissan Elgrand MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Nissan Elgrand, the Suspension section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Nissan Elgrand's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Nissan Elgrand DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Nissan Elgrand, each with how many of the model's 48,135 tests it was noted on.

• "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 2,187 Nissan Elgrand tests, 4.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 1,469 Nissan Elgrand tests, 3.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 1,282 Nissan Elgrand tests, 2.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Rear fog lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 1,102 Nissan Elgrand tests, 2.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 1,031 Nissan Elgrand tests, 2.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 951 Nissan Elgrand tests, 2.0% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Nissan Elgrand Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Nissan Elgrand model year on record is 2012 (83.6% across 1,139 tests), and the weakest is 2000 (65.2%). The gap between them is 18.4 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Nissan Elgrand reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.2 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Nissan Elgrand Owners

These checks follow this Nissan Elgrand's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Nissan Elgrand.

• the suspension joints — “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.

• the lights — “headlamp lens slightly defective”

  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.

• the brakes — “brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick”

  Look through the spokes of each wheel at the pad — less than 3mm of friction material, or a lip on the disc edge, is the usual failure. Check the handbrake holds on a slope with a few clicks, not at the top of its travel.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Nissan Elgrand. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Nissan Elgrand MOT & Reliability