How reliable is the Nissan 350 Z compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Nissan 350 Z, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 73.5% across 4,803 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What do testers most often warn about on a Nissan 350 Z?

The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 23.4% of all Nissan 350 Z tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Nissan 350 Z usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 85,603 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Which Nissan 350 Z years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Nissan 350 Z cars first registered 2017–2019 do best at 88.2%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 71.8%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.

Does a Nissan 350 Z get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 88.2% of Nissan 350 Z tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 71.8%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Model reliability file

Nissan 350 Z MOT pass rate & common failures

From 4,803 recorded MOT tests of the Nissan 350 Z, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 4,803 MOT tests, 73.5% of Nissan 350 Z tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Nissan 350 Z fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, which appears in 14.8% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 85,603 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

73.5%unadjusted, not comparable4,803 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the 350 Z. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 4,803 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Nissan 350 Z tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer14.8%
162 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
2.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements13.6%
149 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn12.8%
140 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning12.6%
138 occurrencesLamp not working explained
5.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded12.3%
135 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
6.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements12.0%
132 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
7.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction10.8%
119 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
8.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 repaired10.3%
113 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
9.Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits9.8%
108 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
10.An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction9.7%
106 occurrencesAirbag warning lamp on, or airbag missing explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Nissan 350 Z tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded23.4%
1,123 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements23.0%
1,103 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured13.3%
640 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened11.6%
559 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged9.6%
461 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.5%
455 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn5.9%
284 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
8.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded5.2%
252 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Nissan 350 Z

The 19 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

How wear changes the picture

350 Z pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Nissan 350 Z passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 6 to 8 was first used in 2017–2019.

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–201988%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201692%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier72%

Read this as an age curve rather than a verdict on particular model years. Nearly every car passes less often as it gets older, so a newer 350 Z outscoring an older one says more about wear than about how that year’s cars were built. Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The 350 Z fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 85,603
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol100.0%

Check a specific Nissan 350 Z

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Nissan models

Nissan Qashqai — 67.4% adjusted
Nissan Juke — 66.5% adjusted
Nissan Micra — 63.8% adjusted
Nissan Note — 65.9% adjusted
Nissan X-Trail — 70.5% adjusted
Nissan Navara — 68.6% adjusted
All Nissan models

Common questions

How reliable is the Nissan 350 Z compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Nissan 350 Z, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 73.5% across 4,803 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Nissan 350 Z?: The item recorded most often is "Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer", which appears in 14.8% of failed Nissan 350 Z tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Nissan 350 Z?: The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 23.4% of all Nissan 350 Z tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Nissan 350 Z usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 85,603 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Which Nissan 350 Z years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Nissan 350 Z cars first registered 2017–2019 do best at 88.2%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 71.8%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.
Does a Nissan 350 Z get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 88.2% of Nissan 350 Z tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 71.8%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.