Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 2,557 tests analysed

Nissan Nv200 2012: reliability & common MOT faults

1,296 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2012 Nissan Nv200 in 2025. Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Position lamp (front) was the most common reason a 2012 Nv200 failed its MOT — 21.5% of its failed first attempts.

First-attempt pass

49.3%

of 2,557 first tests (2025)

First tests

2,557

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

1,296

failed first-attempt tests

MOT pass rates

First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.

First-attempt pass

49.3%

of 2,557 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

59.6%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

2,557

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 13.0 yrs · median mileage 119,448 mi

vs 2024: +0.6 pp first-attempt

Note:

  • Class 4 cars · first MOT of the year per vehicle · P/PRS/F outcomes (2025 data).
  • PRS (fixed at the station the same day) counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate.
  • Raw outcomes for this cohort — not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix.
  • MOT doesn't test engine or gearbox internals.

Common faults

Failure patterns that show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars.

These MOT failure patterns show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars of the same class, age, and mileage.

Shares below are measured across the 1,296 failed first attempts in 2025 that the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Ball joint (rear) — 2.0% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 26 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 12× more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. That is what makes it unusual for its class, which is a different question from what is most likely to fail; the buying checklist ranks by that. The full ranked list is in the table below.

No patterns met the strongest callout thresholds on this page; showing the highest-lift rows that still cleared the display floors.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Ball joint (rear)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Ball joint
 Rear 26 ×12 2.0% Possible
Electrical equipment — Battery(ies)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Electrical equipment > Battery(ies)
 Any 30 ×9.7 2.3% Likely
Linkage ball joints (rear)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage ball joints
 Rear 67 ×8.2 5.2% Likely
Service brake imbalance (rear)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service Brake Efficiency (sp) > Rbt (sp) > Service brake imbalance
 Rear 40 ×4.3 3.1% Likely
SRS malfunction indicator lamp
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems > SRS malfunction indicator lamp
 Any 97 ×4.2 7.5% Likely
Electrical equipment — Horn
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Electrical equipment > Horn
 Any 59 ×3.5 4.6% Likely
Reversing lamps
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Reversing lamps > Reversing lamps
 Any 30 ×3.4 2.3% Likely
Malfunction indicator lamp
Noise, emissions and leaks > Exhaust emissions > Compression ignition > Malfunction indicator lamp
 Any 119 ×3.3 9.2% Likely
Ball joint (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Ball joint
 Front 39 ×3.1 3.0% Likely
Rear fog lamp (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Front and rear fog lamps > Rear fog lamp > Rear fog lamp
 Rear 50 ×3.1 3.9% Likely

Only patterns that clear minimum sample and elevation thresholds are shown (at least 20 failures and about 2.0× more often than similar cars).

Note: Rates and comparisons are among first-attempt failed tests, not all MOTs. Patterns come from MOT defect codes — not manufacturer service bulletins, recalls, or a diagnosis of any individual car. Failures and advisories are listed separately.

Advisories

Notes recorded at the test that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory notes recorded on failed first-attempt tests that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory pattern Location Notes vs similar cars Share Confidence
Shackle pins and bushes (rear)
Suspension > Springs > Leaf springs > Shackle pins and bushes
 Rear 46 ×106 3.5% Possible
Linkage ball joints (rear)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage ball joints
 Rear 142 ×11 11.0% Likely
Ball joint (rear)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Ball joint
 Rear 24 ×9.4 1.9% Possible
Headlamp (front)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Headlamps > Headlamp
 Front 36 ×3.5 2.8% Elevated
Seat belts — Condition (front)
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems > Seat belts > Condition
 Front 36 ×2.8 2.8% Elevated
Linkage ball joints (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage ball joints
 Front 78 ×2.8 6.0% Possible
Ball joint (front)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Ball joint
 Front 87 ×2.7 6.7% Possible
Coil spring (front)
Suspension > Springs > Coil springs > Coil spring
 Front 62 ×2.5 4.8% Elevated
Note: Advisories are not a fail rate — they flag issues noted at the test, often before they become failures.

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

Nothing separates this year from the Nv200 either side of it, so buy on the individual car. The checks below are the items that actually failed 2012 Nv200, commonest first.

What to check on a 2012 Nv200

The items that failed 2012 Nv200 most often, as a share of the year's failed first attempts. This is what goes wrong, not what is unusual — the table further up the page covers that.

  • Position lamp (front) — recorded on 21.5% of failed first attempts
  • Ball joint (front) — recorded on 19.6% of failed first attempts
  • Pins and bushes (front) — recorded on 11.0% of failed first attempts
  • Coil spring (front) — recorded on 9.5% of failed first attempts
  • Malfunction indicator lamp — recorded on 9.2% of failed first attempts

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

Position lamp (front) was the most common reason a 2012 Nv200 failed its MOT — 21.5% of its failed first attempts. In 2025, 49.3% of 2,557 first MOTs on the 2012 Nissan Nv200 passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 59.6%. Among 1,296 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Ball joint (rear) appears more often than on sim…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2012 Nissan Nv200s most often at the first attempt were Position lamp (front) (21.5%), Ball joint (front) (19.6%) and Pins and bushes (front) (11.0%) — each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong on the car. It is a different question from which patterns are unusual for the class, which the common-faults table ans…
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Ball joint (rear) (2.0% of those tests; 26 observed failures; about 12× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Ball joint (rear) shows up more often than on similar cars (2.0% of those tests; 26 observed failures; about 12× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault — age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase check point, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2012 Nissan Nv200 include Ball joint (rear), Electrical equipment — Battery(ies), Linkage ball joints (rear). These patterns show up more often than on similar cars after we filter out sparse noise — not a full list of every possible fault on an individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2012 Nissan Nv200 (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics — not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars — not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics — this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces — but does not remove — differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks when those data marts are missing.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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