Nissan X-Trail
From 153,859 MOT tests. Average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer X-Trails fare better: 2021 models pass at 90.3% vs 63.6% for 2002.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm and a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play. The top issue, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, caused 13,168 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 | 13,168 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 4,722 |
| a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 3,489 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 3,047 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 2,044 |
| a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 1,792 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 1,777 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 1,710 |
| engine mil illuminated indicating a malfunction | 1,660 |
| the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 1,639 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 66.8% of X-Trail failures are safety items (worn brakes, tyre damage, steering play). The car still drives, but you shouldn't. Only 14.5% are the kind that would actually strand you. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £151.
The warranty question
A 3-year-old X-Trail passes its MOT 89.7% of the time. By 7 years old that drops to 78.7%, a 11 percentage point fall, right as the manufacturer warranty runs out. At 10 years it's down to 74%. With an average repair bill of £151 when things go wrong, an extended warranty can make sense on a X-Trail that's past its third birthday.
Nissan X-Trail on UK roads
The fleet is growing: 10,610 newly registered in the past year with 4,248 leaving, a net gain of 6,362. Currently at its highest numbers ever.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 106,994 | 8,625 | +2,139 | -920 | +1,219 |
| 2025 Q2 | 105,936 | 8,464 | +2,384 | -862 | +1,522 |
| 2025 Q1 | 104,552 | 8,326 | +3,983 | -1,116 | +2,867 |
| 2024 Q4 | 101,763 | 8,248 | +2,104 | -1,350 | +754 |
| 2024 Q3 | 101,081 | 8,176 | +2,822 | -1,216 | +1,606 |
| 2024 Q2 | 99,575 | 8,076 | +1,739 | -701 | +1,038 |
| 2024 Q1 | 98,654 | 7,959 | +4,500 | -1,023 | +3,477 |
| 2023 Q4 | 95,377 | 7,759 | +1,156 | -900 | +256 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| X-Trail Tekna Dci | Diesel | 14,029 | 19% |
| X-Trail Tekna Dci 4X4 | Diesel | 7,401 | 10% |
| X-Trail Tekna Dci Cvt | Diesel | 6,399 | 9% |
| X-Trail N-Connecta E-Power A | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 4,283 | 6% |
| X-Trail N-Tec Dci | Diesel | 3,888 | 5% |
| X-Trail Acenta Dci | Diesel | 3,732 | 5% |
| X-Trail Acenta Prem E-4Orce A | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 3,573 | 5% |
| X-Trail N-Connecta Dci | Diesel | 3,036 | 4% |
| X-Trail N-Connecta E-4Orce A | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 2,920 | 4% |
| X-Trail Tekna Dig-T S-A | Petrol | 2,642 | 4% |
| X-Trail Tekna E-4Orce Auto | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 2,614 | 4% |
| X-Trail Tekna Dig-T | Petrol | 2,559 | 3% |
| X-Trail N-Tec Dci 4X4 | Diesel | 2,369 | 3% |
| X-Trail Tekna E-Power Auto | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 2,335 | 3% |
| X-Trail N-Tec Dci Cvt | Diesel | 2,262 | 3% |
| X-Trail Acenta Prem E-Power A | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 2,175 | 3% |
| X-Trail Acnta Premium Mhev Cvt | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 1,964 | 3% |
| X-Trail N-Connecta Mhev Cvt | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 1,826 | 2% |
| X-Trail Aventura Dci | Diesel | 1,707 | 2% |
| X-Trail N-Connecta Dig-T S-A | Petrol | 1,500 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 90.3% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2020 | 89.7% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2019 | 86.9% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2018 | 86.6% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
16 earlier years
| 2017 | 83.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2016 | 78.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2015 | 76.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2014 | 73.8% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2013 | 74% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2012 | 73.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2011 | 68.3% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2010 | 67% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2009 | 65% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2008 | 65.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2007 | 65% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2006 | 63% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 2005 | 64.4% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 2004 | 61.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 2003 | 62.8% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 2002 | 63.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
Typical mileage
Half of all X-Trails tested had between 86,881 and 143,000 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 124,118 median miles, the X-Trail has 0.018 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 X-Trail MOT pass rate?
The Nissan X-Trail has a 77.4% MOT pass rate based on 153,859 real MOT tests. This is around the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Nissan X-Trail?
The most common MOT failure on the Nissan X-Trail is a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which caused 13,168 failures. Other common issues include a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm.
How many Nissan X-Trails are on UK roads?
There are 106,994 Nissan X-Trails currently licensed on UK roads, with 8,625 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Nissan X-Trail at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Nissan X-Trail is 124,118 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 86,881 and 143,000 miles.
Buying a used X-Trail?
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 77.4% pass rate and an average repair bill of £151 when things go wrong, budget accordingly.
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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.