Nissan Silvia: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Nissan Silvia passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 9.6 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 511 individual Nissan Silvia tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

First-time pass rate86.3%
UK national average76.7%
Difference+9.6 points
Tests analysed511
Average mileage at test93,837 miles
Average year of manufacture2003
Reliability rank1,157 of 2,005 models

What this means if you are buying one

A 86.3% first-time pass rate means roughly 14 in every 100 Nissan Silvias presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Nissan Silvia tested had covered 93,837 miles and was built around 2003.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Nissan Silvia bought as a repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

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 Silvia 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 what damaged Nissan Silvias actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Nissan Silvia

  1. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 1.6% of tests (5.51x the national rate for this defect)
  2. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 2.3% of tests (1.29x the national rate for this defect)
  3. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.3% of tests
  4. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.1% of tests (2.33x the national rate for this defect)
  5. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 1% of tests (1.88x the national rate for this defect)
  6. An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 0.9% of tests (2.81x the national rate for this defect)
  7. Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 0.9% of tests (5.59x the national rate for this defect)
  8. Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 0.9% of tests (2.15x the national rate for this defect)
  9. A suspension pin, bush or joint likely to become detached, 0.9% of tests (4.88x the national rate for this defect)
  10. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 0.9% of tests

From 1,056 DVSA-tracked Nissan Silvia tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.03% of these flagged Nissan Silvia defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

Other Nissan models

Models with a similar pass rate

If this car is a salvage or write-off

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate