Model Reports
8 min readUpdated 11 Sep 2026
DVSA open data · 554 tests analysed
Nissan Pathfinder 2011: reliability & common MOT faults
229 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder in 2025. Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.
First-attempt pass rate 58.7% across 554 tests in 2025. On 554 tests that is too small a sample to separate this year from the Pathfinders either side of it — treat the recorded failures as a checklist, not as a verdict on the year.
First-attempt pass
58.7%
of 554 first tests (2025)
First tests
554
test year 2025
Failed first attempts
229
failed first-attempt tests
MOT pass rates
First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.
First-attempt pass
58.7%
of 554 first tests (2025)
Official-style pass
63.5%
incl. same-day PRS fixes
First tests
554
class 4 · first MOT of the year
Typical age 14.0 yrs · median mileage 121,884 mi
vs 2024:
+1.8 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 229 failed
first attempts in 2025
that the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.
Standout: Coil spring (rear) — 11.8% of this year's failed first attempts
Recorded on 27 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 2.7× more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. 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
Coil spring (rear)
Suspension > Springs > Coil springs > Coil spring
Rear
27
×2.7
11.8%
Possible
Track rod end (front)
Steering > Steering linkage components > Track rod end
Front
26
×2.1
11.4%
Possible
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
Rigid brake pipes (front)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
Front
23
×4.1
10.0%
Elevated
Ball joint (front)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Ball joint
Front
21
×3.5
9.2%
Elevated
Exhaust system
Body, chassis, structure > Exhaust system
Any
20
×3.0
8.7%
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.
There are too few 2011 Pathfinders in the data to call this year good or bad. Judge the individual car, not the year.
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.
On 554 tests that is too small a sample to separate this year from the Pathfinders either side of it — treat the recorded failures as a checklist, not as a verdict on the year. In 2025, 58.7% of 554 first MOTs on the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 63.5%. Among 229 failed first-attempt MOT tests (te…
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Coil spring (rear) (11.8% of those tests; 27 observed failures; about 2.7× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Coil spring (rear) shows up more often than on similar cars (11.8% of those tests; 27 observed failures; about 2.7× 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 2011 Nissan Pathfinder include Coil spring (rear), Track rod end (front). 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 2011 Nissan Pathfinder (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.
20242025
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.