Nissan
20,515 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where Cabstars pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 15.8 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
61.7%
Pass-after-fix
4.2%
Fail
32.8%
Avg miles
91,710
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Some examples of this model are borderline — a small number of diesels were certified Euro 6 before September 2015. Check your registration on the government's ULEZ checker to be certain. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 20,515 tests
Pass rate climbs 9.3 points across the cohorts — newer Cabstar examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
60.9%
Fail
33.5%
PRS
4.2%
Avg mileage at test
95,089 mi
Pass
70.3%
Fail
25.2%
PRS
3.6%
Avg mileage at test
53,489 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Nissan Cabstar is the name used in Japan for two lines of pickup trucks and light commercial vehicles sold by Nissan and built by UD Nissan Diesel, a Volvo AB company and by Renault-Nissan Alliance for the European market. The name originated with the 1968 Datsun Cabstar, but this was gradually changed over to "Nissan" badging in the early 1980s.
MOT data from 14,369 tests puts this car on a 61.4% first-time pass rate, well below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 88,358 miles. The most common fail item is cracked or discoloured windscreen, followed by parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement.
The Cabstar's pass rate warrants caution in the used market. Factor in likely first-test remedial work on the common failure items and get a pre-purchase inspection that covers the specific items this car trips on most.
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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Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
1,719 occurrences · 8.4% of tests
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
1,467 occurrences · 7.2% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
1,096 occurrences · 5.3% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
1,053 occurrences · 5.1% of tests
A shock absorber bush excessively worn
1,036 occurrences · 5.0% of tests
The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired
976 occurrences · 4.8% of tests
Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value
935 occurrences · 4.6% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
912 occurrences · 4.4% of tests
Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement
812 occurrences · 4.0% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
770 occurrences · 3.8% 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 2 failures
£88–£275
If every one of this Cabstar'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 9.3-point gap between bands means the year you buy Nissan Cabstar has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
70.3%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 70.3% — a 9.3-point improvement. Tests in this band average 53,489 miles — roughly 42K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: has an excessively worn bush, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view — 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
60.9%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 60.9% pass rate against a fleet average of 70.3% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, efficiency below requirements, and pin or bush excessively worn. Average mileage on test for this band is 95,089 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (70.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (60.9% pass). That's a 9.3-point spread across 18,904 older tests and 1,611 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.
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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 Cabstar 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.
