Diesel Nissan Note: MOT pass rate

68.2% of diesel Nissan Notes pass the MOT first time, measured across 20,996 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 92,957.

Diesel against the other Nissan Note 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 Note specifically, petrol is the strongest at 73.1%, and this diesel version sits 4.3 points below the 72.5% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The diesel Nissan Note 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 Note had covered 92,957 miles at test, against 76,281 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 Note page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Most common MOT failures on a diesel Nissan Note

1. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 21.3% of tests (4.24x the national rate for this defect)
2. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 5.7% of tests (2.54x the national rate for this defect)
3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 5.4% of tests (2.39x the national rate for this defect)
4. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 5% of tests (2.13x the national rate for this defect)
5. Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.9% of tests (2.1x the national rate for this defect)
6. A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps, 1.8% of tests (1.98x the national rate for this defect)
7. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 2.2% of tests (1.69x the national rate for this defect)
8. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 2.9% of tests (1.54x the national rate for this defect)
9. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 4.6% of tests (1.44x the national rate for this defect)
10. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 1.4% of tests (1.35x the national rate for this defect)

From 21,126 DVSA-tracked diesel Nissan Note tests, 2024, split out from the Nissan Note's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 4.57% 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 Note

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

1. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 37.8% of tests (2.83x the national rate for this defect), also fails
2. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 12.7% of tests (2.68x the national rate for this defect), also fails
3. Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow, 1.9% of tests (1.69x the national rate for this defect)
4. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 1.8% of tests (1.44x the national rate for this defect)
5. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 3.1% of tests (1.19x the national rate for this defect)
6. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 31% of tests (1.16x the national rate for this defect), also fails
7. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 3.7% of tests (1.16x the national rate for this defect)
8. A tyre seriously damaged, 15% of tests
9. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 13.7% of tests
10. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 5.8% of tests

From 21,126 DVSA-tracked diesel Nissan Note tests, 2024.

Other Nissan Note fuel types

• Petrol Nissan Note - 73.1%

All Nissan Note MOT data · Every model