Nissan Primastar MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Nissan Primastar MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Nissan Primastar passed on its first attempt in 56.0%, and its overall record sits −12.8 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Nissan Primastar in the 2023–2025 data: 37,947 tests across 14 model years (2002–2022). 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 Primastar MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Nissan Primastar, 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 Primastar's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Nissan Primastar DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Nissan Primastar, each with how many of the model's 37,947 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 3,206 Nissan Primastar tests, 8.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 2,793 Nissan Primastar tests, 7.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Track rod end ball joint has excessive play" (Major) — noted on about 2,773 Nissan Primastar tests, 7.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements" (Major) — noted on about 1,996 Nissan Primastar tests, 5.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 1,736 Nissan Primastar tests, 4.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 1,069 Nissan Primastar tests, 2.8% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Nissan Primastar Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Nissan Primastar model year on record is 2022 (85.1% across 716 tests), and the weakest is 2003 (65.5%). The gap between them is 19.6 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Nissan Primastar reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 2.9 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 Primastar Owners

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

• 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.

• 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 lights — “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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Nissan Primastar MOT & Reliability