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

Fuel Pass rate Tests
Petrol 80.8% 14,664
Diesel 66.4% 6,488
All Nissan Pulsar76.4%21,154

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. 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.

Other Nissan Pulsar fuel types

All Nissan Pulsar MOT data · Every model