Nissan X-Trail common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 88,194 initial MOT tests on the Nissan X-Trail in Great Britain, and 69.5% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Nissan X-Trail at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 88,194
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 69.5%
Failed at firstIncluding 3.7% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 30.5%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 9.0%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 9,823 off the road (SORN): 110,375

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

Failure areas

Where the X-Trail 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.

1Suspension
13.8%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
2Brakes
8.5%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
3Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
7.5%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
4Tyres
5.4%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
5Steering
4.9%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
6Visibility
3.8%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
7Noise, emissions and leaks
3.4%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
8Body, chassis and structure
3.4%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
9Seat belts and airbags
1.1%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Road wheels
0.4%
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.

Suspension armsSuspension9.7%
Mechanical brake componentsBrakes5.0%
Steering linkage componentsSteering4.7%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks3.3%
Anti-roll barsSuspension3.1%
Brake performanceBrakes3.0%
ConditionTyres2.9%
Tread depthTyres2.3%

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
2022	552	93.3%	3.3%
2021	2,316	86.5%	5.6%
2020	4,742	85.9%	5.3%
2019	5,649	83.1%	6.3%
2018	8,913	81.4%	7.0%
2017	17,072	74.6%	8.7%
2016	14,796	69.3%	9.7%
2015	8,169	64.7%	9.9%
2014	3,798	62.6%	10.2%
2013	1,570	62.6%	7.6%
2012	1,653	57.9%	9.6%
2011	1,973	56.2%	10.4%
2010	1,291	53.1%	11.2%
2009	1,720	54.9%	12.2%
2008	2,576	51.8%	12.3%
2007	2,978	51.5%	11.8%
2006	3,183	51.1%	11.6%
2005	2,382	55.0%	10.9%
2004	1,469	52.6%	11.1%
2003	828	53.4%	10.5%
2002	262	55.0%	8.0%

Mileage

X-Trail 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
2 years	23,500 miles	698
3 years	30,400 miles	1,503
4 years	37,600 miles	3,909
5 years	44,300 miles	5,999
6 years	55,200 miles	6,661
7 years	65,100 miles	12,339
8 years	73,500 miles	16,799
9 years	83,300 miles	10,985
10 years	93,300 miles	5,935
11 years	95,800 miles	2,271
12 years	100,700 miles	1,528
13 years	112,600 miles	1,830
14 years	119,800 miles	1,721
15 years	123,400 miles	1,187
16 years	125,700 miles	2,104
17 years	129,000 miles	3,166
18 years	125,300 miles	2,930
19 years	127,200 miles	2,819
20 years	125,600 miles	1,847
21 years	117,600 miles	1,182
22 years	112,600 miles	527

Checking a particular X-Trail?

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 X-Trail: common questions

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

What is the most common MOT failure on the Nissan X-Trail?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Nissan X-Trail was suspension: 13.8% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 9.0% for all cars and vans. Next came brakes (8.5%) and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (7.5%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Nissan X-Trail?

69.5% of 88,194 initial MOT tests on the Nissan X-Trail in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 3.7% 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 X-Trail 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. 9.0% of initial tests on the Nissan X-Trail 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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