2005 Nissan Primera: MOT pass rate and reliability

63.1% of 2005 Nissan Primeras pass the MOT first time, measured across 685 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 96,638 miles.

How the 2005 compares

  • Against all Nissan Primeras (64.4%, 3,224 tests): -1.3 points
  • Against all 2005 cars (64.2%): -1.1 points
  • National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%

Every Nissan Primera model year

Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2005 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Nissan Primera:

Year Pass rate Tests Avg mileage
1998 70.9% 203 98,460
2002 59.8% 323 92,508
2003 64.4% 396 94,821
2004 65.5% 481 98,855
2005 63.1% 685 96,638
2006 63.5% 485 92,393

What this means if you are buying a 2005 Primera

The 2005 sits close to the Nissan Primera average, so there is no strong model-year signal either way. Judge the individual car on its own history. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.

What a 21-year-old car fails on

A 2005 car is 21 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:

  • Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
  • Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
  • Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
  • Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
  • Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
  • Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested

That is above average and into the range where cambelts and water pumps are due if they have not already been done, so ask for the service history rather than take the mileage on trust. On a 2005 Nissan Primera the average at test was 96,638 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.

The strongest year for this model is 1998 at 70.9%, and the weakest in our data is 2002 at 59.8%. That 11.1 point spread across the model's life is why comparing a 2005 car against a newer one tells you very little.

Nearby model years

All Nissan Primera MOT data · Every model