Nissan
5,311 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Unclassifieds pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 2.4 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
75.1%
Pass-after-fix
3.7%
Fail
19.4%
Avg miles
92,751
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 · 5,233 tests
Pass rate climbs 3.9 points across the cohorts — newer Unclassified examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
74.5%
Fail
19.9%
PRS
3.6%
Avg mileage at test
94,444 mi
Pass
78.3%
Fail
16.7%
PRS
3.9%
Avg mileage at test
88,266 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 2,773 MOT tests, the Unclassified returns 73.5% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a split CV-joint boot. A number-plate lamp out and windscreen damage round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 95,909, 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
out of 50
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A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
158 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
150 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
148 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
126 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
116 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired
113 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
98 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
92 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
92 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
92 occurrences · 1.7% 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
£168–£515
If every one of this Unclassified'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 3.9-point gap between bands means the year you buy Nissan Unclassified has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
78.3%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 78.3% — a 3.9-point improvement. Tests in this band average 88,266 miles — roughly 6K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: constant velocity boot severely deteriorated, 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
74.5%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 74.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 78.3% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, and constant velocity boot severely deteriorated. Average mileage on test for this band is 94,444 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (78.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (74.5% pass). That's a 3.9-point spread across 4,412 older tests and 821 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 an Unclassified 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.
