Diesel Nissan Pulsar: MOT pass rate

66.4% of diesel Nissan Pulsars pass the MOT first time, measured across 6,488 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 76,803.

Diesel against the other Nissan Pulsar 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 Pulsar specifically, petrol is the strongest at 80.8%, and this diesel version sits 10 points below the 76.4% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The diesel Nissan Pulsar 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 Pulsar had covered 76,803 miles at test, against 51,688 for the petrol. That is a shade above the middle of the range, still ordinary wear rather than a red flag, but worth checking against the service book for the car's age.

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 Pulsar page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Most common MOT failures on a diesel Nissan Pulsar

1. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 6.4% of tests (4.92x the national rate for this defect)
2. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 7.2% of tests (3.15x the national rate for this defect)
3. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 14.9% of tests (2.96x the national rate for this defect)
4. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 2.9% of tests (2.69x the national rate for this defect)
5. Parking brake inoperative on one side, 1.6% of tests (2.6x the national rate for this defect)
6. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 4.5% of tests (2.08x the national rate for this defect)
7. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 4.9% of tests (1.53x the national rate for this defect)
8. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 2% of tests (1.52x the national rate for this defect)
9. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 1.2% of tests (1.49x the national rate for this defect)
10. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 1.8% of tests (1.38x the national rate for this defect)

From 6,514 DVSA-tracked diesel Nissan Pulsar tests, 2024, split out from the Nissan Pulsar's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 7.31% 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 Pulsar

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

1. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 3.1% of tests (2.32x the national rate for this defect), also fails
2. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 2.7% of tests (2.15x the national rate for this defect)
3. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 17.7% of tests (1.89x the national rate for this defect), also fails
4. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 20.4% of tests (1.53x the national rate for this defect), also fails
5. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 1.3% of tests (1.5x the national rate for this defect)
6. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 9.1% of tests (1.48x the national rate for this defect), also fails
7. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 2.6% of tests (1.31x the national rate for this defect)
8. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 34.7% of tests (1.3x the national rate for this defect), also fails
9. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 1.4% of tests (1.29x the national rate for this defect)
10. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 13.8% of tests

From 6,514 DVSA-tracked diesel Nissan Pulsar tests, 2024.

Other Nissan Pulsar fuel types

• Petrol Nissan Pulsar - 80.8%

All Nissan Pulsar MOT data · Every model