How reliable is the Nissan Skyline compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Nissan Skyline, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 86.2% across 2,025 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 Skyline?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 10.2% of all Nissan Skyline tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 86,084 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 Skyline years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Nissan Skyline cars first registered 2017–2019 do best at 85.3%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 85.9%. 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 Skyline get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 85.3% of Nissan Skyline tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 85.9%. 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 Skyline MOT pass rate & common failures

From 2,025 recorded MOT tests of the Nissan Skyline, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 2,025 MOT tests, 86.2% of Nissan Skyline tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Nissan Skyline 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 lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, which appears in 16.4% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 86,084 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

86.2%unadjusted, not comparable2,025 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Skyline. 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 2,025 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer16.4%
38 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
2.Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits13.8%
32 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
3.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 repaired13.4%
31 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
4.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements12.1%
28 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
5.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning11.6%
27 occurrencesLamp not working explained
6.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 functioning11.6%
27 occurrencesLamp not working explained
7.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded7.8%
18 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
8.Emissions test unable to be completed7.3%
17 occurrences
9.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen6.9%
16 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
10.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements6.0%
14 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Nissan Skyline 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 requirements10.2%
206 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded6.4%
130 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured5.6%
113 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users4.1%
83 tests
5.A tyre seriously damaged4.0%
81 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn3.9%
78 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
7.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm3.4%
69 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
8.Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced2.8%
56 testsCorrosion in a structural area explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Nissan Skyline

The 20 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.

How wear changes the picture

Skyline pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Nissan Skyline passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 6 to 8 was first used in 2017–2019.

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–201985%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201687%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier86%

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 Skyline 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 Skyline fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 86,084
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol100.0%

Trim names grouped into this model (6)

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

SKYLINE 250 GT
SKYLINE 350GT
SKYLINE 370GT
SKYLINE R33
SKYLINE R34
SKYLINE R34 GT TURBO

Check a specific Nissan Skyline

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 Skyline compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Nissan Skyline, 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 86.2% across 2,025 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 Skyline?: The item recorded most often is "Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer", which appears in 16.4% of failed Nissan Skyline 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 Skyline?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 10.2% of all Nissan Skyline tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Nissan Skyline usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 86,084 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 Skyline years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Nissan Skyline cars first registered 2017–2019 do best at 85.3%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 85.9%. 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 Skyline get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 85.3% of Nissan Skyline tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 85.9%. 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. 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.