Know Your MOT
48.5%fail rate

Nissan C common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Nissan C fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 66 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 48.5% of MOT tests recorded on the Nissan C in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is lamps & electrical, which makes up 68.8% of the Nissan C's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, brakes, suspension, visibility/wipers. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Lamps & electrical68.8% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Brakes50.0% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Suspension40.6% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Visibility/wipers37.5% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Seat belts21.9% of failures

Seat-belt failures are frays, cuts, corroded anchorages, or a belt that will not lock under a sharp pull or retract properly.

Exhaust & emissions15.6% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the lamps & electrical failure: Nissan C headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Nissan C headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Nissan C headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Nissan C brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Nissan C brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Nissan C brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Nissan C suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Nissan C suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Nissan C suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Nissan C wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Nissan C wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Nissan C wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the seat belts failure: Nissan C seat beltsSearch Amazon for Nissan C seat beltsaffiliate searchFind Nissan C seat belts on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Nissan C exhaustSearch Amazon for Nissan C exhaustaffiliate searchFind Nissan C exhaust on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Nissan Micra MOT failures28.6% failure rateNissan Qashqai MOT failures22.8% failure rateNissan Juke MOT failures20.6% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain