How reliable is the Nissan Primera compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Nissan Primera, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 57.2% across 2,490 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 Primera?

The item recorded most often is "The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements", which appears in 18.1% of failed Nissan Primera 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 Primera?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 20.8% of all Nissan Primera tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 93,498 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 Primera models petrol or diesel?

Of the Nissan Primera cars tested, 93% are petrol, 7% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Nissan Primera MOT pass rate & common failures

From 2,490 recorded MOT tests of the Nissan Primera, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 2,490 MOT tests, 57.2% of Nissan Primera tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Nissan Primera 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 aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, which appears in 18.1% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 93,498 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

57.2%unadjusted, not comparable2,490 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Primera. 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 2,490 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements18.1%
151 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
2.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 repaired17.0%
142 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
3.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning12.6%
105 occurrencesLamp not working explained
4.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement12.1%
101 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
5.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning10.3%
86 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained
6.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen9.8%
82 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.9%
74 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
8.Exhaust system leaking or insecure8.8%
73 occurrencesExhaust leaking or insecure explained
9.An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction7.9%
66 occurrencesAirbag warning lamp on, or airbag missing explained
10.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm7.8%
65 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Nissan Primera 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 requirements20.8%
518 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged20.0%
498 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users18.3%
456 tests
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured16.0%
399 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened13.3%
332 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
6.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm12.3%
306 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn12.1%
301 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
8.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded12.0%
299 testsBrake pipe corroded explained

What gets tested

The Primera fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 93,498
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol92.6%
Diesel7.4%

Check a specific Nissan Primera

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 Primera compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Nissan Primera, 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 57.2% across 2,490 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 Primera?: The item recorded most often is "The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements", which appears in 18.1% of failed Nissan Primera 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 Primera?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 20.8% of all Nissan Primera tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Nissan Primera usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 93,498 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 Primera models petrol or diesel?: Of the Nissan Primera cars tested, 93% are petrol, 7% 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.