2025 MOT results
Nissan Pathfinder common problems
The most common reason a Nissan Pathfinder fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 14.7% of its 2,095 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 2 faults stand out: a worn steering or suspension joint at 12.7% of failures against 4.5% expected; an exhaust leak at 9.1% of failures against 3.7% expected.
- Tests in 2025 4,725 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 44.3% 2,095 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 10.4% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 68.9% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Nissan Pathfinder MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Nissan Pathfinder 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 (11 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 | 14.7% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 12.7% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 12.2% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 11.7% |
| Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 9.1% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 8.8% |
| Linkage ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 8.7% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.0% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.5% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 6.5% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 6.3% |
| Door condition: cannot be opened from outside the vehicle Body, chassis, structure | 6.1% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Sidelight out
14.7% of failures 12.5% 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.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
12.7% of failures 4.5% expected 2.8 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Broken coil spring
12.2% of failures 9.8% 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.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
11.7% of failures 6.1% expected 1.9 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Exhaust leak
9.1% of failures 3.7% expected 2.5 times as often
A hole or split letting exhaust gas out before the tailpipe.
A blowing or rasping note under load, loudest from cold.
-
Split joint boot
8.8% of failures 6.1% expected somewhat more often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Nissan Pathfinder, on 46.4% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is body, chassis, structure, on 37.4% against 15.3% expected.
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 | 46.4% |
| Suspension | 45.8% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 37.4% |
| Brakes | 22.5% |
| Visibility | 16.9% |
| Steering | 15.4% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 14.2% |
| Tyres | 11.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
68.9% of Nissan Pathfinder tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Nissan Pathfinders, 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 | 19.3% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 11.9% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 10.2% |
| Linkage ball joint has slight play Suspension | 10.2% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint has slight play Suspension | 10.1% |
| Chassis condition: corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Body, chassis, structure | 9.2% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 8.7% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 7.4% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 6.8% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has slight play Steering | 5.8% |
| Wheel bearings: slight play Suspension | 4.3% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 3.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Nissan Pathfinder problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Nissan Pathfinder?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 14.7% of failed Nissan Pathfinder tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 46.4% of failed tests.
How often does a Nissan Pathfinder fail its MOT?
44.3% of Nissan Pathfinder tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 4,725 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 Pathfinder than on other cars?
Yes. “Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play” appears on 12.7% of its failures against 4.5% for cars of the same age, and “Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases” appears on 9.1% of its failures against 3.7% 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 Pathfinder 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 | 4,725 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.