Nissan Pathfinder
From 9,625 MOT tests. Below average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, a lamp missing and inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning. The top issue, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, caused 1,025 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 1,025 |
| a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 396 |
| a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 358 |
| a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 331 |
| a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 316 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 297 |
| windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 292 |
| exhaust system leaking or insecure | 264 |
| a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | 261 |
| vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced | 248 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 30.6% of Pathfinder failures could actually strand you: fractured springs, engine faults, exhaust problems. Another 37.5% are safety issues where the car still drives but shouldn't, such as worn brakes, corroded brake pipes, and steering wear. Breakdown cover may be worth considering for this model. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £156.
Nissan Pathfinder on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 610 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 1 newly registered, a net loss of 609. At this rate, roughly 9.5 years until none remain. Now at 55.6% of its peak (10,428 in 2014 Q2).
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 3,969 | 1,829 | +0 | -101 | -101 |
| 2025 Q2 | 4,119 | 1,780 | +1 | -159 | -158 |
| 2025 Q1 | 4,294 | 1,763 | +0 | -146 | -146 |
| 2024 Q4 | 4,508 | 1,695 | +0 | -204 | -204 |
| 2024 Q3 | 4,753 | 1,654 | +0 | -201 | -201 |
| 2024 Q2 | 4,990 | 1,618 | +0 | -128 | -128 |
| 2024 Q1 | 5,143 | 1,593 | +0 | -168 | -168 |
| 2023 Q4 | 5,401 | 1,503 | +0 | -158 | -158 |
12 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pathfinder Tekna Dci | Diesel | 629 | 17% |
| Pathfinder Aventura Dci | Diesel | 592 | 16% |
| Pathfinder Tekna Dci 188 | Diesel | 544 | 15% |
| Pathfinder Tekna Dci Auto | Diesel | 438 | 12% |
| Pathfinder Aventura Dci A | Diesel | 387 | 11% |
| Pathfinder Tekna Dci188 A | Diesel | 273 | 8% |
| Pathfinder Sport Dci | Diesel | 255 | 7% |
| Pathfinder Sve Dci 174 | Diesel | 165 | 5% |
| Pathfinder T-Spec Dci 174 | Diesel | 104 | 3% |
| Pathfinder Se Dci 174 | Diesel | 94 | 3% |
| Pathfinder Acenta Dci | Diesel | 78 | 2% |
| Pathfinder T-Spec Dci174A | Diesel | 74 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 69.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2013 | 67.3% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2012 | 65.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led |
| 2011 | 70.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
6 earlier years
| 2010 | 69.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2009 | 64.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, exhaust system leaking or insecure |
| 2008 | 63.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2007 | 62.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2006 | 65.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2005 | 69.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen |
Typical mileage
Half of all Pathfinders tested had between 88,842 and 144,824 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 124,621 median miles, the Pathfinder has 0.027 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Nissan models
| Nissan Qashqai | 76.1% |
| Nissan Juke | 75.3% |
| Nissan Micra | 71.2% |
| Nissan Note | 70.9% |
| Nissan Navara | 77% |
Common questions
What is the Nissan Pathfinder MOT pass rate?
The Nissan Pathfinder has a 66.5% MOT pass rate based on 9,625 real MOT tests. This is below the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Nissan Pathfinder?
The most common MOT failure on the Nissan Pathfinder is a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which caused 1,025 failures. Other common issues include a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play.
How many Nissan Pathfinders are on UK roads?
There are 3,969 Nissan Pathfinders currently licensed on UK roads, with 1,829 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Nissan Pathfinder at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Nissan Pathfinder is 124,621 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 88,842 and 144,824 miles.
Buying a used Pathfinder?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 66.5% pass rate and an average repair bill of £156 when things go wrong, budget accordingly. 30.6% of failures on this model could actually strand you, so breakdown cover may be worth considering.
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MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.