Nissan
10,624 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where 350 Zs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's in line with the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models.
Pass
77.7%
Pass-after-fix
4.3%
Fail
16.9%
Avg miles
83,886
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 10,622 tests
Pass rate climbs 15.9 points across the cohorts — newer 350 Z examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
77.5%
Fail
17.0%
PRS
4.3%
Avg mileage at test
84,491 mi
Pass
93.4%
Fail
5.7%
PRS
0.8%
Avg mileage at test
32,231 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 6,658 MOT tests, the 350 Z returns 75.5% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a defective headlamp lens. A torn suspension dust cover and a corroded brake pipe round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 83,184, 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
Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. 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 →
12–28
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A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
385 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
375 occurrences · 3.5% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
242 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
206 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
198 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer
195 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
195 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
183 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
179 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits
160 occurrences · 1.5% 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 3 failures
£130–£410
If every one of this 350 Z'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 →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 15.9-point gap between bands means the year you buy Nissan 350 Z has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
93.4%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 93.4% — a 15.9-point improvement. Tests in this band average 32,231 miles — roughly 52K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated, blade defective — 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
77.5%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 77.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 93.4% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated, lens slightly defective, and damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view. Average mileage on test for this band is 84,491 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (93.4% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (77.5% pass). That's a 15.9-point spread across 10,500 older tests and 122 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.
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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 350 Z 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.
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