2025 MOT results
Nissan Micra common problems
The most common reason a Nissan Micra fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 13.3% of its 86,982 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 4 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a number plate lamp out at 11.1% of failures against 3.8% expected; worn suspension bushes at 10.9% of failures against 4.8% expected; a weak or uneven footbrake at 5.3% of failures against 3.1% expected.
- Tests in 2025 237,297 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 36.7% 86,982 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 6.9% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 60.8% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Nissan Micra MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Nissan Micra tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 13.3% |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 11.1% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 10.9% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 10.8% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 10.2% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.7% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 7.2% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 6.3% |
| Service brake performance: excessively binding Brakes | 5.3% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 4.9% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.8% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Sidelight out
13.3% of failures 10.3% expected somewhat more often
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Number plate lamp out
11.1% of failures 3.8% expected 2.9 times as often
The lamp over the rear number plate not working, so the plate cannot be read at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Worn suspension bushes
10.9% of failures 4.8% expected 2.3 times as often
Worn rubber bushes in a suspension arm, letting the arm move under load.
Perished or cracked rubber at the inner ends of the lower arms, visible with the wheel turned.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
10.8% of failures 6.5% expected 1.7 times as often
Wiper blades that leave the windscreen smeared or streaked across the area the driver looks through.
Look for split or hardened rubber, and lift each blade to see whether it still sits flat.
-
Broken coil spring
10.2% of failures 8.5% expected somewhat more often
A broken suspension spring, which usually snaps in the bottom coil and often fails on both sides within a year.
Look at each corner for a sagging ride height, and listen for a knock over speed bumps.
-
Headlamp aim out of line
8.7% of failures 6.2% expected somewhat more often
The beam pattern points too high, too low, or in the wrong place, so it either dazzles others or lights too little road.
Nothing to do at the roadside, but a garage resets the aim in minutes; a sagging suspension corner or a heavy boot load can throw it out.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Nissan Micra, on 48.0% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 41.8%.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 48.0% |
| Suspension | 40.9% |
| Visibility | 19.1% |
| Brakes | 17.5% |
| Tyres | 15.9% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 11.5% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.6% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 4.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
60.8% of Nissan Micra tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Nissan Micras, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 15.6% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 15.3% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 14.3% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 10.5% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 7.2% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.8% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 5.1% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 3.9% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 3.8% |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes | 3.2% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 2.9% |
| Headlamp: product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Nissan Micra gets older
A 2022 Nissan Micra failed 9.0% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2000 one failed 46.8%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2022 Nissan Micra 9.0% failed, from 5,861 tests
- Worn suspension bushes 14.4%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 9.5%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 8.9%
- Cut tyre 8.2%
- Worn brake pads 8.0%
- Headlamp aim set too low 8.0%
2000 Nissan Micra 46.8% failed, from 2,166 tests
- Structural corrosion 22.0%
- Split joint boot 17.9%
- Sidelight out 12.6%
- Faulty seat belt 10.7%
- Brake light out 10.0%
- Weak or uneven footbrake 9.8%
Shares are of each year's failed tests. Every MOT a particular car has had, with the defects and advisories written at each test, is on GOV.UK's MOT history service from the registration, free.
Nissan Micra problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Nissan Micra?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 13.3% of failed Nissan Micra tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 48.0% of failed tests.
How often does a Nissan Micra fail its MOT?
36.7% of Nissan Micra tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 237,297 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 45 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Nissan Micra than on other cars?
Yes. “Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” appears on 11.1% of its failures against 3.8% for cars of the same age, and “Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn” appears on 10.9% of its failures against 4.8% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Nissan Micra aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 237,297 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.