Pass rate
80.1%
Around average — 7.5 pts ahead of the 72.6% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 292 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £69–£174
2003 Nissan Patrol MOT pass rate
- 2003
- typical 132,536 mi
Most common fault
Suspension
27.0% of faults · 21.0% nationally
mostly worn arm bushes, split ball-joint boots and broken coil springs.
Which year to buy
- Best 2006 81.0% pass
- Avoid 2007 76.6% pass
Across the 9 years on record, a spread of 4.4 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 77.7%
- Typical mileage
- 133k mi
The 2003 Nissan Patrol MOT pass rate is 80.1% of its MOT tests — 7.5 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. Suspension is the biggest single reason it fails, at 27.0% of what testers record.
Check your postcode
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Nissan Patrol does in your corner of the country.
Expert verdict
Body & chassis: 2.4× the national share
Body & chassis accounts for 13.3% of everything recorded on the 2003 Nissan Patrol, against 5.6% nationally — 7.7 points above. Suspension is still the single largest share at 27.0%, but at 21.0% nationally that one is ordinary. Look underneath for corrosion near the jacking points and suspension mounts; surface rust is normal, flaking metal is not.
- 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 72.6% and this one manages 80.1% — 7.5 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict.
- When it fails, it costs. Only 12% 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 Patrol? Get an email when these numbers change .
How does the 2003 Nissan Patrol compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 72.6%, so this figure is 7.5 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 77.7%. The median 2003 Nissan Patrol in this dataset had covered 132,536 mi.
Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 79.8% of the time, April–September 80.6%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded", noted on 3.77% of tests.
- 292 recorded tests behind this page.
- 80.1% overall pass rate, 77.7% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the Nissan Patrol, the average is 78.8% — best year 2006 (81.0%), worst 2007 (76.6%).
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
- 292
- Typical mileage (median)
- 132,536 mi
- Make and model
- Nissan Patrol
- Updated
- 2026-11-05
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Brake Pipe
Typically a garage job — get quotes before committing.
Does mileage affect the Patrol MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 69% so small gaps stay visible.
Regional pass rates for the Patrol
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 71 | 84.5% |
| South West | 55 | 69.1% |
| North West | 42 | 71.4% |
| East of England | 27 | 92.6% |
| Scotland | 18 | 66.7% |
| Wales | 17 | 82.4% |
| Yorkshire | 17 | 88.2% |
| West Midlands | 17 | 82.4% |
| London | 16 | 87.5% |
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 2003 Patrol
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 2003 Patrol
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 brake pipes 3.8% 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.
-
Check the suspension joints 2.7% of tests
“linkage ball 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.
-
Check the lights 2.7% of tests
“position lamp not working”
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 2003 Patrol through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £69–£174 — and 12% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £69–£174
- Cheapest common item: position lamp not working
- £5–£25
- Dearest common item: component mounting prescribed areas…
- £180–£450
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 20%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 12%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 292 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 Patrol, side by side
9 model years on record, from 2000 to 2008. Across them the pass rate runs from 76.6% to 81.0% — a spread of 4.4 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2000 78.6% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2001 78.6% rigid brake pipes excessively…
- 2002 77.9% chassis condition or chassis has…
- 2003 80.1%rigid brake pipes excessively…
- 2004 78.9% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2005 78.0% headlamp lens slightly defective
- 2006 81.0% position lamp not working
- 2007 76.6% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2008 79.0% linkage ball joints ball joint…
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 2003 Nissan Patrol 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 2003 cars with a similar record
- Subaru Impreza 80.0%
- Porsche Boxster 80.4%
- Jaguar Xj 78.8%
- Mercedes-Benz S-Class 81.7%
- Mercedes-Benz Slk 78.3%
- Lexus IS200 78.0%
Closest pass rates among 2003 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 2003 Nissan Patrol 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 774 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 | 213 | 27.00% | 20.98% | +6.02 |
| Brakes | 184 | 23.30% | 20.89% | +2.41 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 105 | 13.30% | 5.57% | +7.73 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 74 | 9.40% | 12.21% | −2.81 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 66 | 8.40% | 5.52% | +2.88 |
| Tyres | 42 | 5.30% | 19.76% | −14.46 |
| Visibility | 30 | 3.80% | 4.97% | −1.17 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 23 | 2.90% | 1.76% | +1.14 |
| Steering | 20 | 2.50% | 2.57% | −0.07 |
| Non-component advisories | 17 | 2.20% | 4.18% | −1.98 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Major | 3.8% | £80–180 |
| Linkage ball joints ball joint excessively worn Suspension | Major | 2.7% | £18–45 |
| Position lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 2.7% | £5–25 |
| Prescribed areas prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | Major | 2.4% | £40–120 |
| Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view Visibility | Minor | 2.4% | £80–200 |
| Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Suspension | Major | 2.0% | £180–450 |
| Brake performance not tested unable to be tested Brakes | Major | 1.7% | £60–150 |
| Chassis condition or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting Body, chassis, structure | Major | 1.7% | £180–450 |
| Headlamp aim too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 1.7% | £30–80 |
| Service brake performance efficiency below requirements Brakes | Major | 1.7% | £60–150 |
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 | 19.5% | £80–180 |
| Engine oil leaks leaking excessively from engine Noise, emissions and leaks | Advisory | 17.5% | £200–700 |
| Wheel bearings has excessive play Suspension | Advisory | 13.4% | £20–55 |
| Chassis condition corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced Body, chassis, structure | Advisory | 11.3% | £180–450 |
| Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | Advisory | 8.6% | £40–150 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 8.2% | £45–95 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 3 | 100.0% | 25,482 mi |
| 30-60k | 10 | 80.0% | 46,399 mi |
| 60-90k | 52 | 82.7% | 77,286 mi |
| 90-120k | 51 | 86.3% | 105,928 mi |
| 120k+ | 174 | 77.6% | 155,701 mi |
Source: 292 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.
2003 Patrol MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2003 Nissan Patrol?
80.1% of the 292 2003 Nissan Patrol tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 72.6% for cars first used in 2003. First-attempt pass rate: 77.7%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2003 Nissan Patrol?
The three most recorded items are rigid brake pipes excessively corroded (3.77%), linkage ball joints ball joint excessively worn (2.74%), position lamp not working (2.74%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2003 Nissan Patrol MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 100.0% of the time, falling to 77.6% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2003 Nissan Patrol in this dataset had covered 132,536 mi.
Does the season affect the 2003 Nissan Patrol MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 79.8% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 80.6%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.