How reliable is the Nissan Almera compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Nissan Almera, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 55.7% across 11,249 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 Almera?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 22.8% of all Nissan Almera tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Nissan Almera usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 87,636 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.

Are most Nissan Almera models petrol or diesel?

Of the Nissan Almera cars tested, 98% are petrol, 2% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Nissan Almera MOT pass rate & common failures

From 11,249 recorded MOT tests of the Nissan Almera, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 11,249 MOT tests, 55.7% of Nissan Almera tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Nissan Almera 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 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, which appears in 14.9% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 87,636 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

55.7%unadjusted, not comparable11,249 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Almera. 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 11,249 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.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 repaired14.9%
578 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
2.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements14.7%
570 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
3.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen13.0%
506 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
4.Exhaust system leaking or insecure11.9%
460 occurrencesExhaust leaking or insecure explained
5.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning10.7%
414 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained
6.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.7%
377 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
7.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning9.7%
376 occurrencesLamp not working explained
8.An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction9.7%
375 occurrencesAirbag warning lamp on, or airbag missing explained
9.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement9.6%
373 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
10.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake8.6%
332 occurrencesBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

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

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements22.8%
2,570 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged22.5%
2,536 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured19.6%
2,200 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded11.9%
1,338 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm11.1%
1,246 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.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 repaired10.5%
1,184 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
7.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened10.2%
1,145 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
8.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users10.0%
1,122 tests

What gets tested

The Almera fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 87,636
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol98.1%
Diesel1.9%

Check a specific Nissan Almera

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 Almera compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Nissan Almera, 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 55.7% across 11,249 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 Almera?: The item recorded most often is "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", which appears in 14.9% of failed Nissan Almera 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 Almera?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 22.8% of all Nissan Almera tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Nissan Almera usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 87,636 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.
Are most Nissan Almera models petrol or diesel?: Of the Nissan Almera cars tested, 98% are petrol, 2% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

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.