Pass rate
71.3%
Below average — 1.6 pts behind the 72.9% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 1,224 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £44–£113
2002 Nissan Primera MOT pass rate
- 2002
- typical 87,409 mi
Most common fault
Suspension
22.0% of faults · 21.0% nationally
mostly worn arm bushes, split ball-joint boots and broken coil springs.
Which year to buy
- Best 2001 76.1% pass
- Avoid 2002 71.3% pass · this year
Across the 7 years on record, a spread of 4.8 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 63.1%
- Typical mileage
- 87k mi
The 2002 Nissan Primera MOT pass rate is 71.3% of its MOT tests — 1.6 points behind what its age and mileage predict. Suspension is the biggest single reason it fails, at 22.0% of what testers record.
Check your postcode
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Nissan Primera does in your corner of the country.
Expert verdict
Fewer problems with tyres
Tyres are 10.6% of this car’s recorded faults, against 19.8% nationally — the mirror image of the usual story on a car of this age.
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 Primera? Get an email when these numbers change .
How does the 2002 Nissan Primera compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 72.9%, so this figure is 1.6 points behind what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 63.1%. The median 2002 Nissan Primera in this dataset had covered 87,409 mi.
The most common fuel recorded here is Petrol — 95% of tests, with a 71.4% pass rate. Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 70.5% of the time, April–September 72.2%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Headlamp lens slightly defective", noted on 4.82% of tests.
- 1,224 recorded tests behind this page.
- 71.3% overall pass rate, 63.1% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the Nissan Primera, the average is 72.8% — best year 2001 (76.1%), worst 2002 (71.3%).
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
- 1,224
- Typical mileage (median)
- 87,409 mi
- Make and model
- Nissan Primera
- Updated
- 2026-11-05
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Headlight Bulb
Usually a DIY or independent-garage job.
Does mileage affect the Primera MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 54% so small gaps stay visible.
Fuel type and reliability
Pass rate by fuel type. Petrol is the most common here (95% of tests).
Regional pass rates for the Primera
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 410 | 75.1% |
| South West | 145 | 62.1% |
| London | 140 | 78.6% |
| East of England | 133 | 63.9% |
| North West | 87 | 73.6% |
| West Midlands | 87 | 77.0% |
| East Midlands | 84 | 75.0% |
| Yorkshire | 49 | 67.3% |
| Scotland | 44 | 59.1% |
| Wales | 25 | 60.0% |
| North East | 20 | 60.0% |
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 2002 Primera
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 2002 Primera
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 lights 4.8% of tests
“headlamp lens slightly defective”
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.
-
Check corrosion 4.2% of tests
“component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength”
Look under the sills, around the jacking points and where the suspension mounts meet the body. Flaking, holed or crumbly metal fails; a brown stain on sound metal does not.
-
Check the wipers and washers 2.9% of tests
“wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively”
Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.
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 2002 Primera through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £44–£113 — and 50% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £44–£113
- Cheapest common item: stop lamp not working
- £3–£12
- Dearest common item: component mounting prescribed areas…
- £180–£450
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 70%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 50%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 1,224 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 Primera, side by side
7 model years on record, from 2000 to 2006. Across them the pass rate runs from 71.3% to 76.1% — a spread of 4.8 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2000 71.4% component mounting prescribed…
- 2001 76.1% component mounting prescribed…
- 2002 71.3%headlamp lens slightly defective
- 2003 71.7% headlamp lens slightly defective
- 2004 73.2% headlamp lens slightly defective
- 2005 72.7% headlamp lens slightly defective
- 2006 73.4% headlamp lens slightly defective
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 2002 Nissan Primera 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 2002 cars with a similar record
- Vauxhall Zafira 71.3%
- Toyota Hilux 71.3%
- Volvo V70 71.4%
- Rover 75 71.4%
- Suzuki Grand Vitara 71.4%
- Vauxhall Astra 71.5%
Closest pass rates among 2002 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 2002 Nissan Primera 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 4,178 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 | 937 | 22.00% | 20.98% | +1.02 |
| Brakes | 916 | 21.50% | 20.89% | +0.61 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 729 | 17.10% | 12.21% | +4.89 |
| Tyres | 451 | 10.60% | 19.76% | −9.16 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 330 | 7.70% | 5.52% | +2.18 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 302 | 7.10% | 5.57% | +1.53 |
| Visibility | 157 | 3.70% | 4.97% | −1.27 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 132 | 3.10% | 1.76% | +1.34 |
| Steering | 120 | 2.80% | 2.57% | +0.23 |
| Non-component advisories | 104 | 2.40% | 4.18% | −1.78 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headlamp lens slightly defective Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 4.8% | £5–25 |
| Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Suspension | Major | 4.2% | £180–450 |
| Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 4.2% | £30–80 |
| Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 3.8% | £5–20 |
| Rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements Brakes | Major | 3.6% | £45–110 |
| Stop lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 3.0% | £3–12 |
| Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | Major | 2.9% | £8–22 |
| Battery(ies) insecure but not likely to fall from carrier Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 2.8% | £60–140 |
| Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view Visibility | Minor | 2.5% | £80–200 |
| Position lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 2.5% | £5–25 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine oil leaks leaking excessively from engine Noise, emissions and leaks | Advisory | 17.2% | £200–700 |
| Has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | Advisory | 15.4% | £45–95 |
| Brake discs in such a condition that it is seriously weakened Brakes | Advisory | 14.8% | £45–110 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 14.2% | £45–95 |
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Advisory | 12.3% | £80–180 |
| Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | Advisory | 10.7% | £18–45 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 24 | 62.5% | 21,794 mi |
| 30-60k | 199 | 79.4% | 48,178 mi |
| 60-90k | 439 | 69.9% | 75,169 mi |
| 90-120k | 342 | 69.6% | 103,227 mi |
| 120k+ | 218 | 70.6% | 149,179 mi |
Source: 1,224 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.
2002 Primera MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2002 Nissan Primera?
71.3% of the 1,224 2002 Nissan Primera tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 72.9% for cars first used in 2002. First-attempt pass rate: 63.1%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2002 Nissan Primera?
The three most recorded items are headlamp lens slightly defective (4.82%), component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (4.17%), headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.17%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2002 Nissan Primera MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 62.5% of the time, falling to 70.6% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2002 Nissan Primera in this dataset had covered 87,409 mi.
Which fuel type is most reliable for a 2002 Nissan Primera?
Petrol: 71.4% pass rate across 1,168 tests. Diesel: 69.6% pass rate across 56 tests. Shares are of the tests on this vehicle that recorded each fuel type.
Does the season affect the 2002 Nissan Primera MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 70.5% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 72.2%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.