Pass rate, every year
100,010 tests across 13 model years, 2009–2021.
−7.0 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
100,010 tests across 13 model years, 2009–2021.
−7.0 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2021 89.7%
The strongest of the 13 years on record. See the 2021 page →
Worst year to buy
2012 70.5%
19.2 points below the 2021 peak. See the 2012 page →
The Nissan NV200 MOT pass rate is 74.0%, −7.0 percentage points below the UK average. That is 100,010 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2009 and 2021. This page lists the most common Nissan NV200 MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Nissan NV200 MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The Nissan NV200 passed on its first attempt in 65.7%, and its overall record sits −7.0 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Nissan NV200 in the 2023–2025 data: 100,010 tests across 13 model years (2009–2021). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 100,010 |
| Overall pass rate | 74.0% |
| Passed on first attempt | 65.7% |
| Average mileage at test | 86,837 mi |
| Model years covered | 2009–2021 (13 years) |
| Versus UK national average | −7.0 pts below |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Nissan NV200, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 48% |
| Suspension | 34% |
| Visibility | 14% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 1% |
| Tyres | 0% |
| Brakes | 0% |
Shares are over the Nissan NV200's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 48% of the recorded Nissan NV200 failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (9.3%), "Position lamp not working" (7.4%), "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (2.3%) among the Nissan NV200's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Around 34% of the recorded Nissan NV200 failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Ball joint excessively worn" (7.7%), "Linkage ball joints ball joint excessively worn" (3.6%), "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (2.8%) among the Nissan NV200's suspension faults.
Around 14% of the recorded Nissan NV200 failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (5.3%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (1.4%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.1%) among the Nissan NV200's visibility faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Nissan NV200, each with how many of the model's 100,010 tests it was noted on.
The 8 biggest of 11 failure items this model records at least 1.5 times the UK rate for.
| Failure item | This model | UK | × UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linkage ball joint excessively worn | 15.8% | 1.8% | 8.8× | £18–£45 |
| SRS warning lamp indicates a fault | 2.1% | 0.4% | 5.3× | £3–£12 |
| Battery(ies) insecure but not likely to fall from carrier | 1.6% | 0.3% | 5.3× | £60–£140 |
| Ball joint excessively worn | 15.4% | 3.1% | 5.0× | £18–£45 |
| Indicator incorrect colour | 5.6% | 1.3% | 4.3× | £3–£12 |
| Position lamp not working | 8.3% | 2.1% | 4.0× | £5–£25 |
| Registration plate lamp inoperative (single lamp) | 3.4% | 0.9% | 3.8× | £5–£20 |
| Service brake imbalance across an axle | 2.5% | 0.7% | 3.6× | £45–£110 |
Rates are a share of this model's own tests (100,010 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items NV200 records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs
The strongest Nissan NV200 model year on record is 2021 (89.7% across 670 tests), and the weakest is 2012 (70.5%). The gap between them is 19.2 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
Nissan NV200 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 2.4 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 NV200 | 670 | 89.7% |
| 2020 NV200 | 494 | 85.4% |
| 2019 NV200 | 2,920 | 80.0% |
| 2018 NV200 | 6,556 | 78.9% |
| 2017 NV200 | 8,312 | 79.5% |
| 2016 NV200 | 12,345 | 76.6% |
| 2015 NV200 | 16,007 | 73.7% |
| 2014 NV200 | 11,779 | 72.2% |
| 2013 NV200 | 15,397 | 71.5% |
| 2012 NV200 | 11,602 | 70.5% |
| 2011 NV200 | 8,703 | 70.6% |
| 2010 NV200 | 4,670 | 71.3% |
| 2009 NV200 | 555 | 73.3% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this Nissan NV200's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Nissan NV200.
the lights — “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.
the suspension joints — “ball joint excessively worn”
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 windscreen — “windscreen damaged”
Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Nissan NV200. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
74.0% of the 100,010 recorded Nissan NV200 MOT tests ended in a pass, −7.0 percentage points below the national average. 65.7% of those passed on the first attempt.
2021 is the strongest Nissan NV200 year on record at 89.7%, while 2012 is the weakest at 70.5%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Nissan NV200 failures are "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" and "Ball joint excessively worn" — together around 17% of tests, mostly in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section.