Nissan Pathfinder MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Nissan Pathfinder MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Nissan Pathfinder passed on its first attempt in 60.6%, and its overall record sits −11.2 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Nissan Pathfinder in the 2023–2025 data: 22,325 tests across 10 model years (2005–2014). 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 Pathfinder MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Nissan Pathfinder, 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.

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

Top Recorded Nissan Pathfinder DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Nissan Pathfinder, each with how many of the model's 22,325 tests it was noted on.

• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 1,685 Nissan Pathfinder tests, 7.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 1,454 Nissan Pathfinder tests, 6.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 1,147 Nissan Pathfinder tests, 5.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Track rod end ball joint has excessive play" (Major) — noted on about 987 Nissan Pathfinder tests, 4.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 859 Nissan Pathfinder tests, 3.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 712 Nissan Pathfinder tests, 3.2% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Nissan Pathfinder Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Nissan Pathfinder model year on record is 2014 (73.4% across 1,311 tests), and the weakest is 2009 (68.2%). The gap between them is 5.2 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Nissan Pathfinder Owners

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

• 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 coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”

  Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Nissan Pathfinder MOT & Reliability