Know Your MOT
32.2%fail rate

Nissan Stanza common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 1,048 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 32.2% of MOT tests recorded on the Nissan Stanza 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 38.3% of the Nissan Stanza's failures, followed by suspension, other, 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

Suspension38.3% 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.

Other28.8% of failures

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

Brakes27.9% 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 & emissions27.3% 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.

Body & structure20.2% 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.

Lamps & electrical19.9% 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.

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).

198234.1% fail · 176 tests
198321.3% fail · 169 tests
198430.4% fail · 283 tests
198536.2% fail · 257 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 suspension failure: Nissan Stanza suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Nissan Stanza suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Nissan Stanza suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Nissan Stanza brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Nissan Stanza brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Nissan Stanza brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Nissan Stanza exhaustSearch Amazon for Nissan Stanza exhaustaffiliate searchFind Nissan Stanza exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Nissan Stanza headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Nissan Stanza headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Nissan Stanza headlight and indicator bulbs 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