Nissan Pulsar MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Nissan Pulsar MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Nissan Pulsar passed on its first attempt in 76.5%, and its overall record sits −0.3 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Nissan Pulsar in the 2023–2025 data: 76,355 tests across 5 model years (2014–2018). 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 Pulsar MOT Problems by Failure Category

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

Top Recorded Nissan Pulsar DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Nissan Pulsar, each with how many of the model's 76,355 tests it was noted on.

• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 3,582 Nissan Pulsar tests, 4.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 2,798 Nissan Pulsar tests, 3.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Track rod end ball joint has excessive play" (Major) — noted on about 1,948 Nissan Pulsar tests, 2.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" (Major) — noted on about 1,320 Nissan Pulsar tests, 1.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 1,221 Nissan Pulsar tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning" (Minor) — noted on about 1,218 Nissan Pulsar tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Nissan Pulsar Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Nissan Pulsar model year on record is 2018 (88.1% across 6,654 tests), and the weakest is 2014 (74.7%). The gap between them is 13.4 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Nissan Pulsar reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 3.4 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 Pulsar Owners

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

• 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.

• the brakes — “brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick”

  Look through the spokes of each wheel at the pad — less than 3mm of friction material, or a lip on the disc edge, is the usual failure. Check the handbrake holds on a slope with a few clicks, not at the top of its travel.

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

Where the Nissan Pulsar is most common

Across every Pulsar model year on record (2014–2018): 29,113 Nissan Pulsar cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 76,355 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 917 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.

The twenty areas with the most Nissan Pulsar cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Frequently Asked Questions: Nissan Pulsar MOT & Reliability