Nissan Pathfinder common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 4,727 initial MOT tests on the Nissan Pathfinder in Great Britain, and 55.7% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Nissan Pathfinder at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 4,727
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 55.7%
Failed at firstIncluding 6.1% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 44.3%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 10.4%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 2,041 off the road (SORN): 3,563

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

Failure areas

Where the Pathfinder fails its MOT

The share of initial tests in 2025 with at least one fail or PRS item in each part of the MOT. A test can fail in more than one area, so these do not add up to the fail rate.

1Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
20.6%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
2Suspension
20.3%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
3Body, chassis and structure
16.6%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
4Brakes
10.0%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
5Visibility
7.5%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
6Steering
6.8%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
7Noise, emissions and leaks
6.3%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
8Tyres
5.0%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
9Seat belts and airbags
3.4%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Road wheels
1.1%
Damaged or loose wheels, wheel nuts and hubsAll cars and vans: 0.4%

This modelAll cars and vans

Parts

The parts that fail most

Share of initial tests with a fail or PRS item on each part, 2025.

Anti-roll barsSuspension7.1%
Position lampsLamps and electrics6.9%
Steering linkage componentsSteering6.2%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks6.1%
Suspension armsSuspension6.1%
SpringsSuspension5.5%
TransmissionBody and structure5.4%
WashersVisibility5.0%

By age

Pass rate by year first used

Older cars fail more often, so compare a car with others of its year. Cars up to 25 years old; years with fewer than 250 tests are left out.

First used	Tests	Passed first time	Dangerous defect
2014	331	58.3%	10.6%
2013	380	54.5%	11.1%
2012	373	53.4%	9.1%
2011	594	60.3%	10.1%
2010	407	58.2%	11.1%
2009	502	54.0%	10.2%
2008	359	54.6%	10.0%
2007	718	53.1%	10.2%
2006	646	53.4%	10.7%
2005	400	57.5%	11.5%

Mileage

Pathfinder mileage by age

The median reading at the test: half the cars of that age had covered more, half less. Estimated from 1,000-mile bands, for cars up to 25 years old.

A car well above or below the typical figure is not a problem in itself, but the readings should rise steadily from one MOT to the next. A fall, or a long gap, is worth asking about.

Check a car's mileage record

Age at test	Median mileage	Readings
11 years	102,800 miles	397
12 years	106,700 miles	363
13 years	120,000 miles	496
14 years	125,100 miles	471
15 years	125,600 miles	433
16 years	125,900 miles	442
17 years	132,800 miles	583
18 years	138,800 miles	713
19 years	150,200 miles	503

Checking a particular Pathfinder?

Averages tell you what to look at. The registration tells you about this car: every MOT since 2005 with its failures and advisories, each mileage reading, and whether it is taxed.

Questions

Nissan Pathfinder: common questions

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

What is the most common MOT failure on the Nissan Pathfinder?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Nissan Pathfinder was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 20.6% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 10.8% for all cars and vans. Next came suspension (20.3%) and body, chassis and structure (16.6%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Nissan Pathfinder?

55.7% of 4,727 initial MOT tests on the Nissan Pathfinder in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 6.1% passed after small repairs made at the test station within the hour (PRS). Across all cars and vans, 72.1% passed first time.

Does a lower pass rate mean the Nissan Pathfinder is unreliable?

Not on its own. MOT results depend on age, mileage and upkeep as much as on design, so a model with many older cars on the road will usually fail more often. The table by year compares cars of a similar age. What matters most is the record of the car you are looking at, so check its MOT history before you buy.

What counts as a dangerous defect?

One the tester judges to be a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or to have a serious impact on the environment. The car fails and should not be driven until it is repaired. 10.4% of initial tests on the Nissan Pathfinder found at least one, against 7.3% for all cars and vans.

Where do these figures come from?

From DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count initial tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain, as DVSA does in its own statistics: retests, appeals and abandoned tests are left out, and so are advisories and minor defects.

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