Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 7,783 tests analysed

Nissan X-Trail 2015: reliability & common MOT faults

2,783 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2015 Nissan X-Trail in 2025. The items recorded most often on them were Ball joint (front) and Pins and bushes (front). Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Petrol X-Trails passed first time 4.4 pp more often than diesel ones (68.3% of 564 vs 63.9% of 7,202).

First-attempt pass

64.2%

of 7,783 first tests (2025)

First tests

7,783

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

2,783

failed first-attempt tests

Most common fail

34.7%

Ball joint (front)

MOT pass rates

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

First-attempt pass

64.2%

of 7,783 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

68.2%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

7,783

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 10.0 yrs · median mileage 88,526 mi

vs 2024: -2.9 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 2,781 of 2,783 failed first attempts (99.9%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025 — the subset the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Ball joint (front) — 34.7% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 964 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 5.6× more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. On this year it is also the commonest failure, so it answers both questions at once. The full ranked list is in the table below.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Suspension arm (rear)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Suspension arm
 Rear 57 ×7.5 2.0% Likely
Ball joint (front)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Ball joint
 Front 964 ×5.6 34.7% Strong
Ball joint (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Ball joint
 Front 59 ×3.6 2.1% Likely
Rigid brake pipes (rear)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Rear 62 ×3.0 2.2% Likely
Linkage ball joints (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage ball joints
 Front 169 ×3.0 6.1% Likely
Pins and bushes (front)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Pins and bushes
 Front 274 ×2.2 9.9% Possible
Malfunction indicator lamp
Noise, emissions and leaks > Exhaust emissions > Compression ignition > Malfunction indicator lamp
 Any 190 ×2.2 6.8% Possible
Position lamp (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Position lamps > Position lamp
 Rear 78 ×2.0 2.8% 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
Pins and bushes (rear)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Pins and bushes
 Rear 73 ×19 2.6% Possible
Headlamp (front)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Headlamps > Headlamp
 Front 42 ×10.0 1.5% Elevated
Suspension arm (rear)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Suspension arm
 Rear 278 ×9.2 10.0% Likely
Track rod end (front)
Steering > Steering linkage components > Track rod end
 Front 147 ×4.8 5.3% Elevated
Sub-frame (front)
Suspension > Sub-frames > Sub-frame
 Front 98 ×3.2 3.5% Elevated
Ball joint (front)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Ball joint
 Front 167 ×3.0 6.0% Strong
Linkage ball joints (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage ball joints
 Front 95 ×2.8 3.4% Likely
Sub-frame (rear)
Suspension > Sub-frames > Sub-frame
 Rear 93 ×2.4 3.3% 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.

On this year, prefer the petrol. The diesel cars passed first time 4.4 pp less often, on 7,202 tests.

Other X-Trail years worth knowing about

Newer cars always pass more often, so a plain "best year" list would just rank by age. These are the years that beat or miss the trend their own neighbouring years set — the only age-adjusted signal this data supports.

Year vs the years either side First-attempt pass (rises with newer cars) First tests
2018 X-Trail +2.5 pp better 81.2% 8,513

What to check on a 2015 X-Trail

The items that failed 2015 X-Trails 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.

  • Ball joint (front) — recorded on 34.7% of failed first attempts
  • Pins and bushes (front) — recorded on 9.9% of failed first attempts
  • Track rod end (front) — recorded on 9.2% of failed first attempts
  • Brake pads (rear) — recorded on 8.5% of failed first attempts
  • Tread depth (front) — recorded on 8.2% 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.

Petrol X-Trails passed first time 4.4 pp more often than diesel ones (68.3% of 564 vs 63.9% of 7,202). In 2025, 64.2% of 7,783 first MOTs on the 2015 Nissan X-Trail passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 68.2%. Among 2,783 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Ball joint (front) appears more often than on similar cars…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2015 Nissan X-Trails most often at the first attempt were Ball joint (front) (34.7%), Pins and bushes (front) (9.9%) and Track rod end (front) (9.2%) — 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 (front) (34.7% of those tests; 964 observed failures; about 5.6× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Ball joint (front) shows up more often than on similar cars (34.7% of those tests; 964 observed failures; about 5.6× 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 2015 Nissan X-Trail include Ball joint (front), Suspension arm (rear), Ball joint (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 2015 Nissan X-Trail (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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