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Nissan Note, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

136,203 Nissan Notes are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 63.1% of initial MOT tests, 9.2 points below the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific Note? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Nissan Note at the MOT

63.1% of 146,834 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Note 457th of 575 models. Nissan Notes aged 6 to 10 years passed 78.3% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 56.9%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Nissan Note63.1%
  • All Nissan modelsThe Note is 4.7 pts behind67.8%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Nissan Note tests in 2025.

  • 6 to 10 years42,684 tests78.3%
  • 11 years and over104,125 tests56.9%

Where Notes fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Nissan Note tests in 2025.

  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment35.5%
  • Suspension27.9%
  • Brakes9.3%
  • Tyres8.4%
  • Visibility7.2%

The items testers recorded most often were position lamp not working (8.6%), pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn (7.1%) and ball joint excessively worn (6.3%).

The MOT page lists every common Note MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Nissan Note MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The Note's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. 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.35.5% of Note failure items

  2. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.27.9% of Note failure items

  3. 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.9.3% of Note failure items

Nissan Notes in the UK

136,203 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 5.1% since the end of 2014, and 21% from its peak of 172,854 at the end of 2017.

Change since 2014
−5.1%from 143,550 licensed
Typical year of first use
2012half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2012 or earlier
First registered in 2025
78against 15,861 in 2015
Declared off the road
5,3623.8% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Nissan Notes since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 2014143,550
End of 2015157,996
End of 2016169,170
End of 2017172,854
End of 2018170,523
End of 2019168,357
End of 2020164,934
End of 2021162,148
End of 2022158,225
End of 2023153,472
End of 2024147,395
End of 2025140,447
End of June 2026136,203

How old they are

Licensed Nissan Notes by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year
Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
20175,0905,419
201610,68811,333
201514,69015,861
201421,116
201311,130
201210,775
201111,028
201012,758
200913,129
200812,566
20079,583
20066,841

14,690 Notes first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 93% of the 15,861 first registered that year.

Note engines and fuel

1.2 litre engines made up 32% of Nissan Note MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.6 litre at 27%. Petrol accounts for 86% of licensed Notes and diesel for 13%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 146,815 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 1.2 litre32.3%
  • 1.6 litre27.5%
  • 1.4 litre26.6%
  • 1.5 litre13.6%

Fuel type, licensed Notes

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol117,81486%
Diesel18,35813%
Hybrid electric7<0.1%
Gas24<0.1%

Nissan Note recalls

10 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Nissan Note. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Note is affected.

  1. Aug 2020 R/2020/220

    Possible reduced retention force of the rear door child lock switch

    Notes built Sep 2015 to Aug 2016 · 299,631 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Fit a countermeasure part into the child lock door switch aperture of all potentially affected vehicles.

  2. Nov 2017 R/2017/226

    Abnormal deployment of passenger airbag

    Notes built Aug 2005 to Jul 2013 · 124,482 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The subject vehicles are equipped with front passenger airbag inflators which could have been assembled with improperly manufactured propellant This 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.
    Remedy
    On affected vehicles replace the airbag with a new assembly.

  3. Dec 2016 R/2016/273

    Wheels may lock if ABS is activated

    Notes built Apr 2016 · 197 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    It has been identified that due to a manufacturing issue the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) Actuator Control Unit may have contamination within it. When in use the contamination particle can migrate within the ABS unit and become trapped in a valve. In this condition the ABS may not operate as per design intent in the worst case when the ABS is activated under certain unusual driving conditions the customer may experience wheel lock and the vehicle's dynamic behaviour would be adversely affected.
    Remedy
    Recall all affected vehicles to inspect the ABS control unit and where necessary replace it with new component.

  4. Feb 2016 R/2016/008

    Engine may stall and/or fail to restart

    Notes built Aug 2015 to Jan 2016 · 2,010 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The engine ignition coil may not be to the correct specification. The internal electrical components of the coil may short circuit resulting in an engine misfire. In the worst case this short circuit may cause a fuse inside the Power Distribution Module (IPDM) to fail stopping power to the ignition relay. In this condition the engine may stall and prevent the customer from being able to restart the engine.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the ignition coil with new.

  5. Feb 2016 R/2015/256

    Drivers airbag may rupture if deployed

    Notes built Aug 2005 to Dec 2011 · 124,507 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    In the event of driver's airbag deployment the internal pressure of inflator may increase abnormally and in an extreme case cause the driver's airbag inflator casing to rupture. In an extreme case this may cause a scattering of metal fragments.
    Remedy
    Owners will be advised that their vehicle is affected by the recall and will be contacted again when parts are available and the driver's air bag will be replaced.

  6. Aug 2015 R/2015/135

    Loss of steering control

    Notes built Jun 2008 to Sep 2008 · 6,973 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The lower pinion needle bearing may have been omitted during manufacture of the steering gear due to insufficient controls in the suppliers manufacturing process. It is possible the pinion may disengage from the steering gear with loss of steering control.
    Remedy
    On affected vehicles inspect and where necessary replace rack.

  7. Aug 2015 R/2015/133

    Engine push start switch may malfunction

    Notes built Jul 2013 to Mar 2014 · 10,248 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected models with a push start ignition switch the switch may remain in the pressed position and not return after switching the engine on. If the vehicle continues to be driven in this condition the emergency engine stop function may operate and cause the engine to unintentionally stop.
    Remedy
    Inspect and where necessary modify the push start switch housing.

  8. Dec 2010 R/2010/226

    Brakes may not perform correctly

    Notes built Nov 2010 · 69 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    It is possible that the vehicles brake fluid maybe contaminated with mineral oil. This can cause the seals within the system to swell and affect their sealing properties. This may require drivers to apply additional force to the foot brake and could increase stopping distances.
    Remedy
    Recall affected vehicles to have the system flushed and replenished with clean fluid.
How to check a specific Note for recalls

Other Nissan models

The most-tested Nissan models in 2025, against the Note's 63.1% MOT pass rate.

All 25 Nissan models

Nissan Note FAQs

How many Nissan Notes are there in the UK?

136,203 Nissan Notes were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 5,362 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Nissan Note 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 63.1% first-time pass rate for the Nissan Note across 146,834 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Nissan Note had any recalls?

10 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Nissan Note. The most recent was published in August 2020. 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 Note?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension and brakes. 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 Note'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 a Note?

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.