Nissan Almera, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
8,607 Nissan Almeras are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 55.7% of initial MOT tests, 16.6 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Almera? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Nissan Almera at the MOT
55.7% of 11,249 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Almera 530th of 575 models.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Where Almeras fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Nissan Almera tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.5%), wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (4.5%) and stop lamp not working (4.4%).
The MOT page lists every common Almera MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Almera's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
-
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.30.4% of Almera failure items
-
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.17.7% of Almera failure items
-
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.12.9% of Almera failure items
Nissan Almeras in the UK
8,607 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 93% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- −93%from 118,332 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2004half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2004 or earlier
- Declared off the road
- 10,56855% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Nissan Almeras since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 118,332 |
| End of 2015 | 100,595 |
| End of 2016 | 83,487 |
| End of 2017 | 66,519 |
| End of 2018 | 52,415 |
| End of 2019 | 40,971 |
| End of 2020 | 32,266 |
| End of 2021 | 24,833 |
| End of 2022 | 19,967 |
| End of 2023 | 16,021 |
| End of 2024 | 12,561 |
| End of 2025 | 9,733 |
| End of June 2026 | 8,607 |
How old they are
Licensed Nissan Almeras by year of first use.
A further 84 were first used before 1998.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 10 |
| 2006 | 885 |
| 2005 | 3,129 |
| 2004 | 2,406 |
| 2003 | 1,262 |
| 2002 | 1,051 |
| 2001 | 443 |
| 2000 | 178 |
| 1999 | 100 |
| 1998 | 105 |
Almera engines and fuel
1.5 litre engines made up 56% of Nissan Almera MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.8 litre at 38%. Petrol accounts for 98% of licensed Almeras and diesel for 1.7%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 11,248 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Almeras
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 8,455 | 98% |
| Diesel | 147 | 2% |
| Gas | 5 | 0.1% |
Nissan Almera recalls
12 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Nissan Almera. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Almera is affected.
-
Aug 2018 R/2018/100
A non-dessicated passenger airbag inflator was used during previous recall to replace this component
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- In 2013 Nissan announced a Recall campaign to replace Takata SPI front passenger airbag inflators. A non-dessicated passenger airbag inflator was used for the replacement. Although there have been no known incidents associated with inflators of this type Nissan has decided to replace all inflators previously repaired with a non-dessicated inflator to a new dessicated version.
- Remedy
- Replace the front passenger airbag inflator with a new dessicated type.
-
Dec 2017 R/2017/279
Replace airbag inflators checked but not replaced under previous recall r/2015/093
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The air bag inflators on affected vehicles were previously checked and deemed to be serviceable. As a precautionary measure the manufacturer has decided to replace them with new assemblies.
- Remedy
- On affected vehicles replace air bag assembly.
-
Nov 2015 R/2015/093
Passenger side airbag may fail to deploy correctly
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The manufacturer has identified that a potential air leak at the passenger airbag inflators which may allow moisture to enter the airbag inflator causing the propellant in the inflator units to deteriorate. Deterioration of the propellant may lead to abnormal deployment of the passenger airbag. In an extreme situation this may result in separation of the airbag housing during deployment causing injury to occupants.
- Remedy
- Inspect air bag assembly and where required replace air bag inflator
-
Apr 2013 R/2013/050
Passenger side airbag may fail to deploy correctly
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The subject vehicles are equipped with front passenger airbag inflators which could have been assembled with improperly manufactured propellant wafers. Improperly manufactured propellant wafers could cause the inflator to rupture and the front passenger airbag to deploy abnormally in a crash. This could result in increased risk of injury to the occupant and the possibility of a fire.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to inspect and where necessary replace the airbag inflator module.
-
Dec 2004 R/2004/179
The front lower portion of the seat cover can become detached
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- It is possible that the front lower portion of the cover on the front seat can become detached from its position. This can leave exposed a sharp metal edge on the seat base. This may cause injury or damage to the occupants hand when accessing the storage compartment or during seat adjustment.
- Remedy
- Recall the affected vehicles and re-fit the cover with a modified fastener.
-
Jun 2004 R/2004/089
Possibility that the sprocket bolt at the rear side of the camshaft could break
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The timing chain tensioner may become defective which can result in the timing chain jamming. Should this occur the engine may stall or fail to start. The condition may also result in the camshaft turning in a non-uniform fashion which could lead to the failure of the vacuum pump drive and a reduction in braking assistance.
- Remedy
- Recalled vehicles will have the camshaft chain guide and tensioner replaced.
-
Dec 2003 R/2003/170
Engine may stall
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- A concern has been identified with the engine angle and position sensors of the engine management system If ignored it could cause the engine to stall and/or make it not possible to restart
- Remedy
- Recall affected vehicles and replace sensors.
-
May 2003 R/2003/052
Rear side seat belt outer buckle may break
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The rear side seatbelt outer buckle may be of a material which has been incorrectly treated. The buckle may break in service. The seat belt would no longer offer a restraining facility
- Remedy
- Recall affected vehicles and replace buckle with modified type
Other Nissan models
The most-tested Nissan models in 2025, against the Almera's 55.7% MOT pass rate.
Nissan Almera FAQs
How many Nissan Almeras are there in the UK?
8,607 Nissan Almeras were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 10,568 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Nissan Almera reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 55.7% first-time pass rate for the Nissan Almera across 11,249 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Nissan Almera had any recalls?
12 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Nissan Almera. The most recent was published in August 2018. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Nissan Almera?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, brakes and suspension. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Nissan Almera's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found an Almera?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Nissan history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Nissan VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.