Pass rate, every year
42,149 tests across 5 model years, 2009–2013.
−2.3 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
42,149 tests across 5 model years, 2009–2013.
−2.3 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2013 82.7%
The strongest of the 5 years on record. See the 2013 page →
Worst year to buy
2010 77.9%
4.8 points below the 2013 peak. See the 2010 page →
The Nissan Pixo MOT pass rate is 78.7%, −2.3 percentage points below the UK average. That is 42,149 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2009 and 2013. This page lists the most common Nissan Pixo 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 Pixo MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The Nissan Pixo passed on its first attempt in 73.7%, and its overall record sits −2.3 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Nissan Pixo in the 2023–2025 data: 42,149 tests across 5 model years (2009–2013). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 42,149 |
| Overall pass rate | 78.7% |
| Passed on first attempt | 73.7% |
| Average mileage at test | 61,255 mi |
| Model years covered | 2009–2013 (5 years) |
| Versus UK national average | −2.3 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 Pixo, 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 | 45% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 19% |
| Visibility | 14% |
| Suspension | 14% |
| Brakes | 9% |
Shares are over the Nissan Pixo's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 45% of the recorded Nissan Pixo 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" (6.7%), "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (3.4%), "Stop lamp not working" (3.2%) among the Nissan Pixo's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Around 19% of the recorded Nissan Pixo failures fall in the Body, chassis, structure section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (6.7%) among the Nissan Pixo's body, chassis, structure faults.
Around 14% of the recorded Nissan Pixo failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (2.7%), "Wipers blade defective" (2.3%) among the Nissan Pixo's visibility faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Nissan Pixo, each with how many of the model's 42,149 tests it was noted on.
The 8 biggest of 10 failure items this model records at least 1.5 times the UK rate for. 3 have a part guide — what to buy, which brands, and what the tester looks at next time.
| Failure item | This model | UK | × UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded | 27.1% | 4.6% | 5.9× | £80–£180 part £25–£55 |
| Wheel bearings rough when rotated | 3.1% | 0.6% | 5.2× | £20–£55 |
| CV boot severely deteriorated | 6.7% | 1.5% | 4.5× | £80–£250 |
| Shock absorbers damaged to the extent that it does not function | 1.8% | 0.4% | 4.5× | £30–£75 |
| Suspension component corroded | 1.2% | 0.3% | 4.0× | £180–£450 |
| Coil spring corroded | 12.4% | 3.7% | 3.4× | £25–£65 part £30–£50 |
| Stop lamp not working | 4.4% | 1.6% | 2.8× | £3–£12 |
| Suspension pin or bush excessively worn | 19.6% | 8.0% | 2.5× | £40–£150 part £35–£75 |
Rates are a share of this model's own tests (42,149 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 Pixo 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 Pixo model year on record is 2013 (82.7% across 1,733 tests), and the weakest is 2010 (77.9%). The gap between them is 4.8 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
Nissan Pixo reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.1 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 Pixo | 1,733 | 82.7% |
| 2012 Pixo | 6,524 | 79.8% |
| 2011 Pixo | 7,153 | 79.6% |
| 2010 Pixo | 14,421 | 77.9% |
| 2009 Pixo | 12,318 | 78.0% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this Nissan Pixo's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Nissan Pixo.
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 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 brake pipes — “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.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Nissan Pixo. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
78.7% of the 42,149 recorded Nissan Pixo MOT tests ended in a pass, −2.3 percentage points below the national average. 73.7% of those passed on the first attempt.
2013 is the strongest Nissan Pixo year on record at 82.7%, while 2010 is the weakest at 77.9%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Nissan Pixo failures are "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" and "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" — together around 13% of tests, mostly in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section.