How reliable is the Nissan Terrano compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Nissan Terrano, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 59.8% across 1,137 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 Terrano?

The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 28.6% of all Nissan Terrano tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 111,761 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 Terrano models petrol or diesel?

Of the Nissan Terrano cars tested, 98% are diesel, 1% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Nissan Terrano MOT pass rate & common failures

From 1,137 recorded MOT tests of the Nissan Terrano, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 1,137 MOT tests, 59.8% of Nissan Terrano tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Nissan Terrano 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 transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, which appears in 25.0% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 111,761 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

59.8%unadjusted, not comparable1,137 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Terrano. 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 1,137 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc25.0%
96 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing 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 repaired24.7%
95 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
3.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired15.1%
58 occurrencesSeat belt anchorage corroded or weakened explained
4.Body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point14.8%
57 occurrencesCorrosion in a structural area explained
5.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play13.5%
52 occurrencesBall joint worn explained
6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn13.0%
50 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
7.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen12.8%
49 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning11.7%
45 occurrencesLamp not working explained
9.Exhaust system leaking or insecure11.2%
43 occurrencesExhaust leaking or insecure explained
10.A wheel bearing with excessive play10.2%
39 occurrencesWheel bearing has excessive play or is rough explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Nissan Terrano 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 corroded28.6%
325 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
2.A wheel bearing with excessive play24.1%
274 testsWheel bearing has excessive play or is rough explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements18.1%
206 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users14.2%
162 tests
5.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured13.3%
151 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
6.Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced13.3%
151 testsCorrosion in a structural area explained
7.A tyre seriously damaged11.2%
127 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
8.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 repaired11.0%
125 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained

What gets tested

The Terrano fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 111,761
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel98.4%
Petrol1.5%

Check a specific Nissan Terrano

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 Terrano compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Nissan Terrano, 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 59.8% across 1,137 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 Terrano?: The item recorded most often is "A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc", which appears in 25.0% of failed Nissan Terrano 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 Terrano?: The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 28.6% of all Nissan Terrano tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Nissan Terrano usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 111,761 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 Terrano models petrol or diesel?: Of the Nissan Terrano cars tested, 98% are diesel, 1% are petrol. 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.