Nissan X-Trail MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Nissan X-Trail MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Nissan X-Trail passed on its first attempt in 73.9%, and its overall record sits −2.2 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Nissan X-Trail in the 2023–2025 data: 331,848 tests across 23 model years (2001–2023). 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 X-Trail MOT Problems by Failure Category

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

Top Recorded Nissan X-Trail DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Nissan X-Trail, each with how many of the model's 331,848 tests it was noted on.

• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 18,830 Nissan X-Trail tests, 5.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Track rod end ball joint has excessive play" (Major) — noted on about 9,082 Nissan X-Trail tests, 2.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 7,837 Nissan X-Trail tests, 2.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 6,836 Nissan X-Trail tests, 2.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 5,949 Nissan X-Trail tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 5,682 Nissan X-Trail tests, 1.7% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Nissan X-Trail Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Nissan X-Trail model year on record is 2023 (96.6% across 177 tests), and the weakest is 2006 (67.6%). The gap between them is 29.0 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Nissan X-Trail reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.9 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 X-Trail Owners

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

• 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 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 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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Nissan X-Trail MOT & Reliability