Nissan Pathfinder: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Nissan Pathfinder fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 17.9 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 5,808 individual Nissan Pathfinder tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 58.8% first-time pass rate means roughly 41 in every 100 Nissan Pathfinders presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Nissan Pathfinder tested had covered 125,852 miles and was built around 2009.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Nissan Pathfinder sits 17.9 points below the national average, ranked 1,965 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

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 Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder: £725 at UK salvage auction, from 4 ended listings, not independently confirmed sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Nissan Pathfinder

1. A door will not open using the relevant control or close properly, 4.3% of tests (23.65x the national rate for this defect)
2. Body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point, 3.2% of tests (14.06x the national rate for this defect)
3. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 3.8% of tests (9.21x the national rate for this defect)
4. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 7.1% of tests (5.47x the national rate for this defect)
5. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 4.8% of tests (4.75x the national rate for this defect)
6. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 3.7% of tests (3.87x the national rate for this defect)
7. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 5.6% of tests (3.64x the national rate for this defect)
8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 17.7% of tests (3.52x the national rate for this defect)
9. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 3.8% of tests (3.06x the national rate for this defect)
10. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 5.1% of tests (3x the national rate for this defect)

From 5,806 DVSA-tracked Nissan Pathfinder tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.44% of these flagged Nissan Pathfinder defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Nissan Pathfinder

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 Pathfinder before it actually fails on it.

1. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 13.3% of tests (10.69x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. A wheel bearing with excessive play, 5% of tests (7.72x the national rate for this advisory)
3. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 6% of tests (4.52x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 9.4% of tests (3.3x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 36.6% of tests (2.74x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
6. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 13.8% of tests (2.49x the national rate for this advisory)
7. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 3.5% of tests (2.28x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
8. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 10.2% of tests (1.65x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 15.1% of tests (1.24x the national rate for this advisory)
10. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 3.2% of tests (1.2x the national rate for this advisory)

From 5,806 DVSA-tracked Nissan Pathfinder tests, 2024.

Nissan Pathfinder pass rate by model year

From its 2005 to its 2014 model year, the Nissan Pathfinder's first-time pass rate has fallen 1.6 points, from 63.7% to 62.1%, an unusual pattern where even its newest years fail more than its oldest. First-time pass rate for each Nissan Pathfinder year:

• 2005 Nissan Pathfinder - 63.7% first-time pass, 515 tests
• 2006 Nissan Pathfinder - 58.4% first-time pass, 866 tests
• 2007 Nissan Pathfinder - 57.7% first-time pass, 944 tests
• 2008 Nissan Pathfinder - 58.4% first-time pass, 469 tests
• 2009 Nissan Pathfinder - 57.5% first-time pass, 645 tests
• 2010 Nissan Pathfinder - 62.6% first-time pass, 486 tests
• 2011 Nissan Pathfinder - 64.8% first-time pass, 633 tests
• 2012 Nissan Pathfinder - 57.1% first-time pass, 401 tests
• 2013 Nissan Pathfinder - 60.3% first-time pass, 393 tests
• 2014 Nissan Pathfinder - 62.1% first-time pass, 327 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 Leaf - 83.1%
• Nissan Nv200 - 65.1%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Renault Grand Espace - 59.4%
• Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin - 59.1%
• Mazda 5 - 59%
• Hyundai Matrix - 58.7%
• Renault Grand Modus - 58.7%
• Renault G - 58.5%

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?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate