Know Your MOT
28.1%fail rate

Nissan Patrol common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 80,797 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 28.1% of MOT tests recorded on the Nissan Patrol in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is brakes, which makes up 39.7% of the Nissan Patrol's failures, followed by brakes, lamps & electrical, suspension, other. 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

Brakes39.7% 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.

Lamps & electrical35.7% 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.

Suspension30.2% 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.

Other16.5% of failures

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

Body & structure15.1% of failures

Structural failures are corrosion in load-bearing areas, sharp edges, or insecure panels. These are inspection-and-welding jobs rather than a simple bolt-on part, so weigh them against the value of the car.

Visibility/wipers14.2% 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.

Failure rate by year

How the MOT failure rate varies by the car's year of first registration (older examples generally fail more as wear sets in).

199431.5% fail · 4,589 tests
199531.6% fail · 2,781 tests
199631.7% fail · 2,819 tests
199731.9% fail · 3,400 tests
199830.4% fail · 7,609 tests
199929.4% fail · 7,107 tests
200028.3% fail · 5,967 tests
200126.5% fail · 4,733 tests
200225.1% fail · 5,160 tests
200323.7% fail · 5,280 tests
200425.0% fail · 8,868 tests
200523.6% fail · 5,907 tests
200621.2% fail · 2,056 tests
200723.6% fail · 1,473 tests
200823.2% fail · 746 tests
200921.6% fail · 259 tests

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 brakes failure: Nissan Patrol brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Nissan Patrol brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Nissan Patrol brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Nissan Patrol headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Nissan Patrol headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Nissan Patrol headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Nissan Patrol suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Nissan Patrol suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Nissan Patrol suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Nissan Patrol wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Nissan Patrol wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Nissan Patrol 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 · DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain