Know Your MOT
16.7%fail rate

Nissan Cima common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 138 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 16.7% of MOT tests recorded on the Nissan Cima 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 39.1% of the Nissan Cima's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, suspension, brakes, exhaust & emissions. 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 & electrical39.1% 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.

Suspension34.8% 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.

Brakes26.1% 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.

Exhaust & emissions21.7% 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.

Visibility/wipers17.4% 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.

Other17.4% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

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