Nissan Serena MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Nissan Serena MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Nissan Serena passed on its first attempt in 80.7%, and its overall record sits +2.4 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Nissan Serena in the 2023–2025 data: 8,361 tests across 18 model years (2004–2021). 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 Serena MOT Problems by Failure Category

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

Top Recorded Nissan Serena DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Nissan Serena, each with how many of the model's 8,361 tests it was noted on.

• "Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt" (Minor) — noted on about 373 Nissan Serena tests, 4.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 234 Nissan Serena tests, 2.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 200 Nissan Serena tests, 2.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Rear fog lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 181 Nissan Serena tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Rectified) — noted on about 179 Nissan Serena tests, 2.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" (Major) — noted on about 97 Nissan Serena tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Nissan Serena Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Nissan Serena model year on record is 2013 (89.0% across 1,057 tests), and the weakest is 2005 (71.8%). The gap between them is 17.2 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Nissan Serena reliability is declining in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.0 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 Serena Owners

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

• the suspension joints — “track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or 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 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 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 Serena. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Nissan Serena MOT & Reliability