MOT failures by make
Nissan MOT failures for “Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn”
Nissan cars failed their MOT on “Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn” in 4.51% of 3,269,925 tests in 2023–2024 (147,413 tests) — 3.1 times as often as comparable cars of the same age, mileage and fuel, which would have failed on it in about 1.45% of tests. It is the number 1 most common failure item on Nissans.
Data to 2024-12-30 · Page updated 2026-09-28 · Publisher: 73 Auto
- Nissan tests failing on it
- 4.51%
- 147,413 of 3,269,925 tests, 2023–2024
- Comparable cars
- 1.45%
- national rate at the same age, mileage and fuel
- Observed ÷ expected
- 3.11×
- 73 Auto analysis · rank #1 for Nissan
How unusual this is for the make
Across all MOT failures, Nissans fail 1.13× as often as comparable cars. On this item the gap is 2.76× wider than that overall level, so it is a genuine Nissan pattern rather than a reflection of how often the make fails in general. It is a major defect in the suspension part of the test. Nationally it appears on 1.43% of MOT tests.
Nissan models and “Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn”
The Nissan Juke is most affected (5.96× comparable cars); the Nissan 350 Z least (0.28×). Not every model follows the make: the pattern is concentrated in some models. Model rows compare with cars of the same age and fuel.
| Model | Tests | Failed on it | vs similar cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan Juke | 612,114 | 7.04% | 5.96× |
| Nissan Pulsar | 42,549 | 5.06% | 5.62× |
| Nissan X-Trail | 186,399 | 6.08% | 4.53× |
| Nissan NV200 | 51,677 | 8.48% | 4.48× |
| Nissan Qashqai | 1,126,671 | 4.35% | 3.36× |
| Nissan Primastar | 19,096 | 8.79% | 3.05× |
| Nissan Leaf | 81,819 | 3.76% | 2.41× |
| Nissan Note | 309,831 | 4.35% | 2.22× |
| Nissan Pathfinder | 12,396 | 5.36% | 1.91× |
| Nissan Navara | 145,370 | 2.31% | 1.74× |
| Nissan Micra | 502,606 | 2.50% | 1.47× |
| Nissan E-NV200 | 10,297 | 0.74% | 1.19× |
| Nissan Almera | 32,574 | 1.96% | 0.97× |
| Nissan Elgrand | 25,709 | 0.72% | 0.43× |
| Nissan Pixo | 23,662 | 0.78% | 0.33× |
| Nissan 350 Z | 10,960 | 0.57% | 0.28× |
By age at test
The difference is largest at 7-8 years old: 4.75% of Nissan tests against 1.16% for comparable cars.
| Age (years) | Nissan tests | Nissan | Comparable cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 360,501 | 0.18% | 0.14% |
| 5-6 | 510,276 | 1.17% | 0.45% |
| 7-8 | 597,205 | 4.75% | 1.16% |
| 9-10 | 493,863 | 7.29% | 1.95% |
| 11-12 | 390,193 | 8.17% | 2.44% |
| 13-15 | 396,407 | 7.08% | 2.57% |
| 16+ | 396,829 | 4.15% | 2.06% |
Other Nissan MOT faults that stand out
- Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play · 3.10× comparable cars
- Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn · 1.98× comparable cars
- Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn · 2.18× comparable cars
- Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps · 1.65× comparable cars
Limitations
Official data: DVSA's anonymised MOT results (2023–2024), class 4 initial tests, cars at least 2.5 years old. 73 Auto analysis: the comparison rate applies the national rate of this item for each test's own age, mileage band and fuel to the Nissan tests. An MOT result reflects maintenance, mileage and how a car is used as well as its design, so this is not a measure of which make is most reliable. The wording of the defect is DVSA's.
Has this Nissan failed on it before?
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UK number plate or 17-character VIN
Where these figures come from
- Anonymised MOT tests and results (2023 and 2024) — Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). Open Government Licence v3.0.
Figures labelled as 73 Auto estimates are our own analysis of these sources, set out in the methodology and data sources. To report a factual error, see corrections.