Diesel Nissan Micra: MOT pass rate

67.5% of diesel Nissan Micras pass the MOT first time, measured across 6,016 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 82,277.

Diesel against the other Nissan Micra versions

Why the fuel type changes the number

Diesels carry DPFs, EGR valves and stricter smoke limits, so emissions and exhaust faults account for failures petrol cars never see.

On the Nissan Micra specifically, petrol is the strongest at 72.2%, and this diesel version sits 4.5 points below the 72% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The diesel Nissan Micra fails more often than the model average, so budget for the items that catch this fuel type and treat a fresh MOT as worth paying for. Buying a damaged one? run it through the analyzer, check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.

Mileage is part of the answer

The average diesel Nissan Micra had covered 82,277 miles at test, against 63,679 for the petrol. That is above average, the point where suspension bushes, drop links and exhaust corrosion start showing up as advisories before they become failures.

Fuel type and mileage are tangled together: diesels are usually bought by higher-mileage drivers, so some of any gap between fuels is the miles rather than the engine. The per-year figures on the Nissan Micra page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Most common MOT failures on a diesel Nissan Micra

1. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 10.9% of tests (4.77x the national rate for this defect)
2. Smoke opacity levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limit, 1.2% of tests (4.54x the national rate for this defect)
3. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 2.6% of tests (4.39x the national rate for this defect)
4. A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps, 3.2% of tests (3.54x the national rate for this defect)
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 17.6% of tests (3.5x the national rate for this defect)
6. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 4.2% of tests (1.89x the national rate for this defect)
7. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 4.4% of tests (1.87x the national rate for this defect)
8. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 3% of tests (1.56x the national rate for this defect)
9. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 2.3% of tests (1.38x the national rate for this defect)
10. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.5% of tests (1.37x the national rate for this defect)

From 6,078 DVSA-tracked diesel Nissan Micra tests, 2024, split out from the Nissan Micra's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 4.26% of these flagged defects as "dangerous", against 5.11% nationally. See which fuel type fails on the most dangerous defects nationally for how that compares across the whole fleet.

Most common MOT advisories on a diesel Nissan Micra

Flagged but doesn't fail the car, a different list from the failures above.

1. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 5.7% of tests (4.14x the national rate for this defect), also fails
2. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 3.8% of tests (2.97x the national rate for this defect)
3. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 2.8% of tests (2.62x the national rate for this defect)
4. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 30.7% of tests (2.29x the national rate for this defect), also fails
5. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 8.1% of tests (1.72x the national rate for this defect), also fails
6. Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow, 1.8% of tests (1.64x the national rate for this defect)
7. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 3.9% of tests (1.46x the national rate for this defect)
8. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 30% of tests
9. A tyre seriously damaged, 17.3% of tests
10. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 10.8% of tests

From 6,078 DVSA-tracked diesel Nissan Micra tests, 2024.

Other Nissan Micra fuel types

• Petrol Nissan Micra - 72.2%

All Nissan Micra MOT data · Every model