2025 MOT results
Nissan X-Trail common problems
The most common reason a Nissan X-Trail fails its MOT is a worn steering or suspension joint, on 22.8% of its 26,888 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 3 faults stand out: a worn steering or suspension joint at 22.8% of failures against 4.9% expected; worn brake pads at 13.7% of failures against 7.0% expected; worn suspension bushes at 7.1% of failures against 4.4% expected.
- Tests in 2025 88,071 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 30.5% 26,888 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 9.0% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 60.0% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Nissan X-Trail MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Nissan X-Trail 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 |
|---|---|
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 22.8% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 13.7% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 13.1% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.5% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 7.4% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 7.1% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 6.4% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.2% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 5.9% |
| Linkage ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 4.8% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 4.4% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Worn steering or suspension joint
22.8% of failures 4.9% expected 4.7 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.
-
Worn brake pads
13.7% of failures 7.0% expected 2 times as often
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
13.1% of failures 3.2% expected 4.1 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.
-
Engine management light on
7.5% of failures 5.7% expected somewhat more often
The engine management light is on, or has been disconnected. Either fails the test.
A cheap code reader on the diagnostic socket will say what the car has stored before you pay for a test.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
7.4% of failures 8.5% expected about as expected
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Worn suspension bushes
7.1% of failures 4.4% expected 1.6 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.
Which parts of the car fail
Suspension is the area that most often fails a Nissan X-Trail, on 45.2% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 31.1%.
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 |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 45.2% |
| Brakes | 28.0% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 24.6% |
| Tyres | 17.6% |
| Steering | 16.0% |
| Visibility | 12.4% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 11.2% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 11.1% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
60.0% of Nissan X-Trail tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Nissan X-Trails, 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 | 18.1% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 15.4% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 11.7% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 11.7% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 8.3% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.7% |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 5.4% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 5.0% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 4.8% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint has slight play Suspension | 4.7% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has slight play Steering | 4.6% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 3.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Nissan X-Trail gets older
A 2021 Nissan X-Trail failed 13.5% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2005 one failed 45.0%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2021 Nissan X-Trail 13.5% failed, from 2,316 tests
- Worn brake pads 31.9%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 21.4%
- Engine management light on 11.8%
- Cut tyre 7.7%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 6.1%
- Headlamp aim set too high 4.5%
2005 Nissan X-Trail 45.0% failed, from 2,382 tests
- Worn steering or suspension joint 17.4%
- Structural corrosion 14.8%
- Sidelight out 13.3%
- Split joint boot 11.3%
- Weak handbrake 10.5%
- Exhaust leak 9.1%
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 X-Trail problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Nissan X-Trail?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn” is the most common: it appears on 22.8% of failed Nissan X-Trail tests. Across categories, suspension is the area that most often fails one, on 45.2% of failed tests.
How often does a Nissan X-Trail fail its MOT?
30.5% of Nissan X-Trail tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 88,071 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 44 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Nissan X-Trail than on other cars?
Yes. “Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn” appears on 22.8% of its failures against 4.9% for cars of the same age, and “Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick” appears on 13.7% of its failures against 7.0% 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 X-Trail 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 | 88,071 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.