Know Your MOT
39.1%fail rate

Nissan Panel Van common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 115 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 39.1% of MOT tests recorded on the Nissan Panel Van in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is suspension, which makes up 48.9% of the Nissan Panel Van's failures, followed by suspension, lamps & electrical, brakes, 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

Suspension48.9% 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.

Lamps & electrical44.4% 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.

Brakes42.2% 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.

Visibility/wipers17.8% 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.

Exhaust & emissions13.3% 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.

Tyres11.1% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a 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 suspension failure: Nissan Panel Van suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Nissan Panel Van suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Nissan Panel Van suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Nissan Panel Van headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Nissan Panel Van headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Nissan Panel Van headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Nissan Panel Van brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Nissan Panel Van brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Nissan Panel Van brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Nissan Panel Van wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Nissan Panel Van wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Nissan Panel Van wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Nissan Panel Van exhaustSearch Amazon for Nissan Panel Van exhaustaffiliate searchFind Nissan Panel Van exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Nissan Panel Van tyresSearch Amazon for Nissan Panel Van tyresaffiliate searchFind Nissan Panel Van tyres 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