Infiniti
8,741 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Q30s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 8.4 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
85.9%
Pass-after-fix
2.3%
Fail
11.4%
Avg miles
59,883
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Diesel cars registered from September 2015 generally meet Euro 6 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 8,741 tests
Pass rate climbs 3.8 points across the cohorts — newer Q30 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
85.6%
Fail
11.7%
PRS
2.4%
Avg mileage at test
61,469 mi
Pass
89.4%
Fail
8.0%
PRS
1.8%
Avg mileage at test
38,740 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 5,422 MOT tests, the Q30 returns 85.7% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. Brake pads worn below 1.5 mm and a broken or weak spring round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 51,858, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
22–32
out of 50
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Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
172 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
151 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
133 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
108 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
104 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
86 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
77 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
58 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
56 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
56 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures
£300–£735
If every one of this Q30's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 3.8-point gap between bands means the year you buy Infiniti Q30 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
89.4%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 89.4% — a 3.8-point improvement. Tests in this band average 38,740 miles — roughly 23K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: blade defective, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
85.6%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 85.6% pass rate against a fleet average of 89.4% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated, and fractured or broken. Average mileage on test for this band is 61,469 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (89.4% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (85.6% pass). That's a 3.8-point spread across 8,130 older tests and 611 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Q30 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
