How reliable is the Nissan NV400 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Nissan NV400, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 64.5% across 592 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 NV400?

The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 18.1% of all Nissan NV400 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Nissan NV400 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 103,673 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.

Model reliability file

Nissan NV400 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 592 recorded MOT tests of the Nissan NV400, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 592 MOT tests, 64.5% of Nissan NV400 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Nissan NV400 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 lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, which appears in 17.1% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 103,673 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

64.5%unadjusted, not comparable592 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the NV400. 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 592 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Nissan NV400 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning17.1%
27 occurrencesLamp not working explained
2.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm15.8%
25 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
3.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement13.3%
21 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
4.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded12.7%
20 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
5.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements11.4%
18 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
6.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc10.1%
16 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
7.A tyre seriously damaged9.5%
15 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
8.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake8.2%
13 occurrencesBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained
9.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning7.6%
12 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained
10.A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED7.6%
12 occurrencesHeadlamp not working explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Nissan NV400 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 corroded18.1%
107 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured17.6%
104 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements16.9%
100 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm6.3%
37 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn5.9%
35 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users5.1%
30 tests
7.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened3.7%
22 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
8.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage3.4%
20 testsShock absorber defective explained

What gets tested

The NV400 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 103,673
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel100.0%

Trim names grouped into this model (3)

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

NV400 ACENTA DCI
NV400 TEKNA DCI
NV400 VISIA DCI

Check a specific Nissan NV400

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 NV400 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Nissan NV400, 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 64.5% across 592 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 NV400?: The item recorded most often is "A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning", which appears in 17.1% of failed Nissan NV400 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 NV400?: The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 18.1% of all Nissan NV400 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Nissan NV400 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 103,673 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.

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.