The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Nissan Almera common problems

What fails on the Nissan Almera at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 11,249 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Nissan Almera's most common MOT problems are bulbs and lamps, tyres, headlamp aim, recorded in 40.9%, 23.7% and 22.5% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2003 cars pass most often (57.7%) and 2005 cars least (53.5%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.

A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every Nissan Almera that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 11,249 cars.

By component

What wears out on a Almera

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Nissan Almera tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.

  1. 1.Bulbs and lamps

    40.9% of failed tests

    Filament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.

    • “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained10.7%
    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained9.7%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained7.4%
    • “Headlamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements” — explained5.4%

    Across all cars, bulbs and lamps failures climb 15-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long bulbs and lamps last

  2. 2.Tyres

    23.7% of failed tests

    Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.

    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained8.2%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained5.8%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained5.2%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained4.5%

    Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last

  3. 3.Headlamp aim

    22.5% of failed tests

    Aim drifts with sagging suspension, a knocked lamp or a botched bulb change; adjustment, not a part.

    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained14.7%
    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained5.2%
    • “Headlamp aim unable to be tested” — explained2.7%

  4. 4.Wiper blades and washers

    15.8% of failed tests

    Rubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.

    • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained13.0%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained2.8%

    Across all cars, wiper blades and washers failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long wiper blades and washers last

  5. 5.Suspension arms and mountings

    14.9% of failed tests

    Arms bend on impact and mountings corrode into the body; a corroded mounting is a structural item and fails as one.

    • “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” — explained14.9%

  6. 6.Parking brake

    14.4% of failed tests

    Cables stretch and seize, rear shoes and adjusters wear; efficiency is measured on the roller tester against the vehicle's weight.

    • “Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement” — explained9.6%
    • “Parking brake inoperative on one side” — explained4.7%

  7. 7.Exhaust system

    11.9% of failed tests

    Silencers and pipes rust through from the inside on short-trip cars; rubber hangers perish.

    • “Exhaust system leaking or insecure” — explained11.9%

    Across all cars, exhaust system failures climb 104-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long exhaust system last

  8. 8.Brake callipers

    11.2% of failed tests

    Pistons and slider pins seize with corrosion and disuse, dragging a brake on or leaving one side weak; shows as imbalance on the roller tester.

    • “Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake” — explained8.6%
    • “Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake” — explained2.6%

By registration year

Almera problems by year

MOT pass rate for Nissan Almera cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. The step at 2006, up 4.1 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

200256%
200358%+2.1
200457%−0.9
200554%−3.2
200658%+4.1

Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.

Before it fails

What testers warn Almera owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Nissan Almera tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the Almera file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Nissan Almera?
Going by what fails the MOT, bulbs and lamps (recorded in 40.9% of failed tests), tyres (recorded in 23.7% of failed tests), and headlamp aim (recorded in 22.5% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 11,249 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Nissan Almera year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Nissan Almera cars registered in 2003 do best at 57.7% and 2005 cars do worst at 53.5%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar. The largest such step is at 2006, up 4.1 points on 2005.
Is the Nissan Almera reliable?
The Nissan Almera passes 55.7% of MOTs unadjusted; its fleet is too narrow in age or mileage for a fair national comparison. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.
What should I check when buying a used Nissan Almera?
Start with what fails most: bulbs and lamps, tyres, wiper blades and washers. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.

Analysis built from DVSA data of