Is the Nissan Leaf reliable?

On MOT evidence the Nissan Leaf is about average. It passes 72.0% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 74% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Nissan Leaf?

The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 28.1% of failed Nissan Leaf 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 Leaf?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 23.5% of all Nissan Leaf tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 45,707 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 Leaf years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Nissan Leaf cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 88.6%, and those registered 2011–2013 do worst at 59.9%. 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 Leaf get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 88.6% of Nissan Leaf tests pass. By 12 to 14 years, that falls to 59.9%. 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 Leaf MOT pass rate & common failures

From 53,059 recorded MOT tests of the Nissan Leaf, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Nissan Leaf passes 72.0% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is about average. Based on 53,059 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which appears in 28.1% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 45,707 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

72.0%national average72.3%unadjusted80.2%range covered74%

The Leaf is 0.3 percentage points below the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is about average. The unadjusted figure is 80.2%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

Electric car

How the Leaf compares with other electric cars

At 3 to 5 years old the Nissan Leaf passes 88.6% of MOT tests, from 25,257 tests in that age band. Petrol and diesel cars of the same age pass 89.9%, so this model sits 1.3 points below that baseline. Among electric cars it ranks 17 of 43.

There is no emissions test for an electric car and the MOT does not check the battery. Electric cars as a group fail slightly more often than same-age petrol cars, almost entirely on tyres and suspension, because they are heavier and deliver full torque instantly.

Every electric car ranked, and what fails · What the MOT tests on an electric car

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn28.1%
2,496 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements15.4%
1,367 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged14.5%
1,294 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen12.0%
1,071 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
5.A tyre cords visible or damaged9.3%
828 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn7.6%
672 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
7.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm6.1%
543 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn5.6%
497 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
9.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened4.7%
418 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
10.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning4.6%
413 occurrencesLamp not working explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Nissan Leaf 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 requirements23.5%
12,456 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured17.2%
9,138 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged16.5%
8,742 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn9.8%
5,207 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm6.5%
3,433 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt3.2%
1,720 tests
7.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements3.0%
1,591 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn2.9%
1,562 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Nissan Leaf

The 17 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.

Known faults

Nissan Leaf common problems, by part and by year

The same failure record read the way a buyer asks the question: which parts wear out on a Leaf, when they start, and how each registration year compares — including the steps that mark a generation change.

Leaf common problems and results by year

How wear changes the picture

Leaf pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Nissan Leaf passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 3 to 5 was first used in 2020–2022.

3–5 yrsreg. 2020–202289%

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–201980%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201664%

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–201360%

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 Leaf 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 Leaf fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 45,707
Fuel mix of tested cars: Electric100.0%

Trim names grouped into this model (7)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

LEAF 10
LEAF ACENTA
LEAF E + 3.ZERO
LEAF E + N-CONNECTA
LEAF E + N-TEC
LEAF E + TEKNA
LEAF SHIRO

Check a specific Nissan Leaf

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

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Ford B-Max — 63.8% adjusted, ranked 234
Renault Kangoo — 59.0% adjusted, ranked 257
Skoda Citigo — 75.1% adjusted, ranked 109
Mercedes-Benz SLK — 69.3% adjusted, ranked 178

Common questions

Is the Nissan Leaf reliable?: On MOT evidence the Nissan Leaf is about average. It passes 72.0% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 74% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Nissan Leaf?: The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 28.1% of failed Nissan Leaf 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 Leaf?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 23.5% of all Nissan Leaf tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Nissan Leaf usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 45,707 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 Leaf years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Nissan Leaf cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 88.6%, and those registered 2011–2013 do worst at 59.9%. 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 Leaf get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 88.6% of Nissan Leaf tests pass. By 12 to 14 years, that falls to 59.9%. 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. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

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.