Nissan Qashqai UK Reliability Profile — DVSA MOT pass rates

Background

This profile is based on 1,943,383 DVSA MOT tests for the Nissan Qashqai, covering vehicle ages 3 through 16 and test years 2020 through 2023. In this dataset, the Qashqai shows a familiar MOT pattern: very strong pass rates at the first test, followed by a steady decline as vehicles age and median mileage rises.

At age 3, the Qashqai records a 93.55 pass rate across 202,099 tests, with median mileage at 22,243. By age 7, the pass rate is 81.7 across 199,039 tests, with median mileage at 56,988. By age 12, it is 55.84 across 106,880 tests, with median mileage at 98,455.

How pass rates change with age

The clearest reliability signal in the MOT data is age-related deterioration. The Qashqai remains relatively strong through its earlier test years, but the pass rate falls consistently from age 3 onward.

Age	Tests	Pass rate	Median mileage
3	202,099	93.55	22,243
4	209,278	90.55	30,442
5	214,063	87.91	39,363
6	213,458	85.39	48,242
7	199,039	81.7	56,988
8	181,852	76.31	65,791
9	160,977	70.23	74,308
10	148,671	64.22	82,676

The first notable step down comes between age 3 and age 4, where the pass rate moves from 93.55 to 90.55. The decline then continues through age 5 at 87.91 and age 6 at 85.39.

By age 8, the Qashqai is at 76.31 across 181,852 tests. At age 9 it falls to 70.23 across 160,977 tests, and at age 10 it reaches 64.22 across 148,671 tests. That places the model in a distinctly different MOT phase from its early-life performance.

Older Qashqai results

The later-age data shows that pass rates continue to soften into the low-50 range, while mileages move close to or beyond 100,000.

Age	Tests	Pass rate	Median mileage
11	129,235	59.78	91,032
12	106,880	55.84	98,455
13	85,886	53.16	104,455
14	53,693	51.33	109,130
15	27,047	51.85	104,621
16	11,174	53.19	116,162

At age 11, the pass rate is 59.78 across 129,235 tests. At age 12, it is 55.84 across 106,880 tests. Ages 13 through 16 sit in a narrow band: 53.16 at age 13, 51.33 at age 14, 51.85 at age 15, and 53.19 at age 16.

That pattern suggests the sharpest deterioration happens earlier, with older vehicles then clustering around similar MOT outcomes. The mileage figures support that interpretation: median mileage rises from 91,032 at age 11 to 116,162 at age 16.

What the mileage pattern suggests

Mileage and age move upward together throughout most of the dataset, and the pass-rate decline broadly tracks that progression. Median mileage is 22,243 at age 3, 48,242 at age 6, 56,988 at age 7, 82,676 at age 10, and 98,455 at age 12.

There is a slight irregularity in the oldest groups. Median mileage is 109,130 at age 14, then 104,621 at age 15, before rising to 116,162 at age 16. Even so, the pass-rate picture remains broadly stable in those later years, with all 4 age bands between 51.33 and 53.19.

For used-car readers, that means the MOT profile changes materially between the first test and the later middle years. A 7-year-old Qashqai at 56,988 median mileage still posts 81.7, while a 12-year-old example at 98,455 median mileage posts 55.84.

Test-year trend

The year-by-year view is comparatively stable. Across 158,571 tests in 2020, the Qashqai posted an 80.5 pass rate. That rose to 83.09 across 206,902 tests in 2021 and 84.31 across 220,674 tests in 2022, before easing slightly to 83.79 across 222,265 tests in 2023.

Test year	Tests	Pass rate
2020	158,571	80.5
2021	206,902	83.09
2022	220,674	84.31
2023	222,265	83.79

This indicates that the bigger reliability story here is vehicle age rather than a dramatic shift in annual MOT performance. The spread between 2020 and 2023 is modest compared with the much larger movement seen between age 3 and age 12.

Limitations

This is an MOT pass-rate study, not a fault-category breakdown. It shows how often Nissan Qashqai vehicles passed their MOT at each age and in each test year, but it does not identify which components caused failures.

The dataset covers ages 3 to 16 and test years 2020 to 2023. It also reports median mileage by age, not by test year. As a result, the data is strongest for describing broad reliability direction over time rather than pinpointing specific mechanical weaknesses.

Frequently asked questions

Q: How well does the Nissan Qashqai do at its first MOT? A: At age 3, the Qashqai recorded a 93.55 pass rate across 202,099 tests. Median mileage at that age was 22,243.

Q: What is the pass rate for a 7-year-old Qashqai? A: At age 7, the pass rate was 81.7 across 199,039 tests. Median mileage was 56,988.

Q: What is the pass rate for a 12-year-old Qashqai? A: At age 12, the pass rate was 55.84 across 106,880 tests. Median mileage was 98,455.

Q: When does the Qashqai drop below 70 on MOT pass rate? A: Age 9 was at 70.23, and age 10 was at 64.22. In this dataset, age 10 is the first age below 70.

Q: Are older Qashqai MOT results still fairly stable? A: Yes. Ages 13, 14, 15, and 16 recorded 53.16, 51.33, 51.85, and 53.19.

Q: Did Qashqai MOT pass rates improve in recent years? A: The pass rate was 80.5 in 2020, 83.09 in 2021, 84.31 in 2022, and 83.79 in 2023. The highest figure shown here is 84.31 in 2022.