Nissan Leaf: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Nissan Leaf passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 6.4 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 43,227 individual Nissan Leaf tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 83.1% first-time pass rate means roughly 17 in every 100 Nissan Leafs presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Nissan Leaf tested had covered 44,823 miles and was built around 2018.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Nissan Leaf sits 6.4 points above the national average, ranked 1,333 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Nissan Leaf rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see the median recorded closing bid for a damaged Nissan Leaf: £2,050 at UK salvage auction, from 13 ended listings, not independently confirmed sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Nissan Leaf

1. Parking brake inoperative on one side, 1% of tests (1.61x the national rate for this defect)
2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 6.9% of tests (1.38x the national rate for this defect)
3. A tyre seriously damaged, 3.4% of tests (1.22x the national rate for this defect)
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.9% of tests
5. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 1.9% of tests
6. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.4% of tests
7. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 0.9% of tests
8. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 0.9% of tests
9. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 0.9% of tests
10. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 0.8% of tests

From 43,148 DVSA-tracked Nissan Leaf tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.9% of these flagged Nissan Leaf defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Nissan Leaf

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Nissan Leaf before it actually fails on it.

1. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 18.2% of tests (1.48x the national rate for this advisory)
2. A tyre seriously damaged, 19.4% of tests (1.26x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 1.3% of tests (1.18x the national rate for this advisory)
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 26.2% of tests, also fails
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 14.4% of tests, also fails
6. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 6% of tests, also fails
7. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 2.4% of tests
8. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 1.9% of tests
9. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 1.6% of tests
10. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 1.5% of tests

From 43,148 DVSA-tracked Nissan Leaf tests, 2024.

Nissan Leaf pass rate by model year

From its 2011 to its 2022 model year, the Nissan Leaf's first-time pass rate has risen 27.4 points, from 69.2% to 96.6%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Nissan Leaf year:

• 2011 Nissan Leaf - 69.2% first-time pass, 442 tests
• 2012 Nissan Leaf - 67.8% first-time pass, 469 tests
• 2013 Nissan Leaf - 63.3% first-time pass, 1,239 tests
• 2014 Nissan Leaf - 65.6% first-time pass, 3,036 tests
• 2015 Nissan Leaf - 70.4% first-time pass, 3,983 tests
• 2016 Nissan Leaf - 75.8% first-time pass, 4,019 tests
• 2017 Nissan Leaf - 82.2% first-time pass, 4,990 tests
• 2018 Nissan Leaf - 87.2% first-time pass, 5,050 tests
• 2019 Nissan Leaf - 89.2% first-time pass, 4,914 tests
• 2020 Nissan Leaf - 91.4% first-time pass, 7,127 tests
• 2021 Nissan Leaf - 93.1% first-time pass, 7,412 tests
• 2022 Nissan Leaf - 96.6% first-time pass, 324 tests

Other Nissan models

• Nissan Qashqai - 72.7%
• Nissan Juke - 71.8%
• Nissan Micra - 71.7%
• Nissan Note - 72.1%
• Nissan X-Trail - 73.5%
• Nissan Navara - 72.9%
• Nissan Nv200 - 65.1%
• Nissan Pulsar - 76%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Ford Transit Custom 280leader Eblue - 83.2%
• Vauxhall Corsa E Se Nav - 83.2%
• Mazda Cx-5 - 83.1%
• BMW 640 - 83.1%
• BMW 216 - 83.1%
• Renault Trafic Business Energy Dci - 83.1%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

Embed this data

Run a site about the Nissan Leaf? Embed the real DVSA pass-rate badge free, linked back to this page.

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Run a garage or parts site? Embed the Nissan Leaf's top real failure reason instead, linked back here.

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate