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

19,865 Nissan Primastars are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 51% of initial MOT tests, 21.3 points below the 72.3% UK average.

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

Nissan Primastar at the MOT

51% of 8,383 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Primastar 565th of 575 models. Nissan Primastars aged 3 to 5 years passed 81% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 48.3%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Nissan Primastar51%
  • All Nissan modelsThe Primastar is 16.8 pts behind67.8%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Nissan Primastar tests in 2025.

  • 3 to 5 years158 tests81%
  • 6 to 10 years191 tests53.4%
  • 11 years and over7,488 tests48.3%

Where Primastars fail

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

  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment26.5%
  • Suspension22.3%
  • Brakes21%
  • Steering7.2%
  • Visibility6.5%

The items testers recorded most often were ball joint excessively worn (6.2%), track rod end ball joint has excessive play (5.3%) and position lamp not working (5%).

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

Full Nissan Primastar MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The Primastar'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.26.5% of Primastar failure items

  2. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.22.3% of Primastar 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.21% of Primastar failure items

Nissan Primastars in the UK

19,865 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 4.8% since the end of 2014.

Change since 2014
+4.8%from 18,955 licensed
Typical year of first use
2023half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2023 or earlier
First registered in 2025
3,272
Declared off the road
3,05113% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Nissan Primastars since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 201418,955
End of 201518,349
End of 201617,576
End of 201716,604
End of 201815,498
End of 201914,315
End of 202013,320
End of 202112,321
End of 202212,677
End of 202314,350
End of 202415,831
End of 202517,768
End of June 202619,865

How old they are

Licensed Nissan Primastars by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year

A further 1,564 were first used before 2006.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
20253,1293,272
20242,8662,921
20232,9023,009
20221,2441,335
202101
202001
201901
201801
201701
201601
201569
2014702
2013554
2012552
2011773
2010366
2009612
2008697
2007980
2006777

Primastar engine sizes

2.0 litre engines made up 68% of Nissan Primastar MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.9 litre at 31%. Diesel accounts for 100% of licensed Primastars.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 8,381 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 2.0 litre68.4%
  • 1.9 litre30.7%

Nissan Primastar recalls

7 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Nissan Primastar. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Primastar is affected.

  1. Feb 2026 R/2026/023

    Primastar X82 Tyre Configuration

    Primastars built Feb 2025 to Sep 2025 · 373 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    For affected vehicles the tyre size has been incorrectly configured in some of the control units. In this condition the calculation of the vehicle speed for display is made using incorrect data. As a result the vehicle displays a calculated vehicle speed that is 2% lower than the actual speed of the vehicle.
    Remedy
    Reconfigure the Body Control Module (BCM) Anti-Lock braking System (ABS) and Front Camera with the correct tyre size.

  2. Sep 2016 R/2016/185

    Steering wheel may break/detach and cause loss of steering

    Primastars built Sep 2012 to Dec 2013 · 19 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Due to an error in production cracks may form in the steering wheel. This could compromise the strength of the steering wheel and in extreme conditions may detach.
    Remedy
    On affected vehicles inspect the steering wheel and replace where necessary.

  3. Jan 2011 R/2010/231

    Handbrake may fail

    Primastars built May 2010 to Aug 2010 · 118 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Risk that the primary handbrake cable end - piece crimping may not conform so the handbrake cable may become detached.
    Remedy
    Check crimping at cable end. Replace cable if not within tolerance.

  4. Jul 2010 R/2010/075

    Suspension turret may fail

    Primastars built Jul 2006 · 11 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    It has been identified that the welds on the left-hand front suspension turret may fail. Should this occur the vehicle could tilt to the left-hand side and directional control could ultimately be affected.
    Remedy
    Recall those affected vehicles for remedial work to be carried out on the suspension turret.

  5. Nov 2009 R/2009/102

    Rear seat belt buckle may detach from seat frame

    Primastars built Dec 2002 to Mar 2008 · 129 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The rear seat belt buckle retaining bolt may become loose resulting in buckle becoming detached
    Remedy
    Recall affected vehicles check and refit retorque and lock bolt.

  6. Dec 2008 R/2008/170

    Possible failure of parking brake

    Primastars built Jan 2006 to Jun 2008 · 7,373 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    It has been identified that the possibility exists that the intermediate handbrake connector may break resulting in the cable potentially separating from the connector. The possibility then exists that parking brake functionality would be lost.
    Remedy
    Recalled vehicles will have the subject connector replaced.

  7. Sep 2008 R/2008/062

    Airbag may not deploy

    Primastars built Jul 2006 to Nov 2006 · 2 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The incorrect side airbag may deploy in the event of an accident.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to replace the airbag control unit with one containing the correct logic.
How to check a specific Primastar for recalls

Other Nissan models

The most-tested Nissan models in 2025, against the Primastar's 51% MOT pass rate.

All 25 Nissan models

Nissan Primastar FAQs

How many Nissan Primastars are there in the UK?

19,865 Nissan Primastars were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 3,051 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Nissan Primastar 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 51% first-time pass rate for the Nissan Primastar across 8,383 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Nissan Primastar had any recalls?

7 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Nissan Primastar. The most recent was published in February 2026. 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 Primastar?

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 Primastar'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 Primastar?

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 Primastar 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.