Is the Nissan Serena reliable?

On MOT evidence the Nissan Serena is above average. It passes 76.5% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 64% 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 do testers most often warn about on a Nissan Serena?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 18.1% of all Nissan Serena tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 85,322 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.

Does a Nissan Serena get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 71.5% of Nissan Serena tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 65.3%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Nissan Serena models petrol or diesel?

Of the Nissan Serena cars tested, 63% are petrol, 35% are hybrid, 1% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Nissan Serena MOT pass rate & common failures

From 3,027 recorded MOT tests of the Nissan Serena, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Nissan Serena passes 76.5% 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 above average. Based on 3,027 tests. 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 14.9% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 85,322 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

76.5%national average72.3%unadjusted74.5%range covered64%

The Serena is 4.2 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is above average. The unadjusted figure is 74.5%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Nissan Serena 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 functioning14.9%
89 occurrencesLamp not working explained
2.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm13.9%
83 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
3.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements12.7%
76 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
4.An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning12.5%
75 occurrencesLamp not working explained
5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements11.5%
69 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
6.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen11.0%
66 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
7.Front or rear fog lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements8.8%
53 occurrencesLamp of the wrong colour, position or intensity explained
8.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play8.7%
52 occurrencesBall joint worn explained
9.A tyre cords visible or damaged7.7%
46 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
10.An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning7.2%
43 occurrencesLamp not working explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Nissan Serena 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 requirements18.1%
548 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm13.5%
410 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured10.5%
318 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn10.4%
315 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged9.5%
289 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.A stub axle swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn5.6%
169 testsBall joint worn explained
7.Play in steering rack inner joint(s)5.3%
161 tests
8.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play5.1%
155 testsBall joint worn explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs72%

6–8 yrs80%

9–11 yrs85%

12–14 yrs75%

15+ yrs65%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Serena fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 85,322
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol63.4%
Hybrid35.1%
Diesel1.3%

Trim names grouped into this model (2)

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

SERENA HYBRID
SERENA HYBRID RIDER

Check a specific Nissan Serena

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

Lexus GS — 87.8% adjusted, ranked 9
Ssangyong Rexton — 67.6% adjusted, ranked 200
Fiat Qubo — 62.5% adjusted, ranked 242
Vauxhall Movano — 67.7% adjusted, ranked 198

Common questions

Is the Nissan Serena reliable?: On MOT evidence the Nissan Serena is above average. It passes 76.5% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 64% 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 Serena?: 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 14.9% of failed Nissan Serena 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 Serena?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 18.1% of all Nissan Serena tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Nissan Serena usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 85,322 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.
Does a Nissan Serena get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 71.5% of Nissan Serena tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 65.3%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Nissan Serena models petrol or diesel?: Of the Nissan Serena cars tested, 63% are petrol, 35% are hybrid, 1% 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. 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.