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

1,839 Nissan Primeras are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 57.2% of initial MOT tests, 15.1 points below the 72.3% UK average.

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

Nissan Primera at the MOT

57.2% of 2,490 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Primera 518th of 575 models.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Nissan Primera57.2%
  • All Nissan modelsThe Primera is 10.6 pts behind67.8%
  • All cars72.3%

Where Primeras fail

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

  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment31.4%
  • Brakes17.6%
  • Suspension14.5%
  • Body, chassis, structure9.2%
  • Noise, emissions and leaks7.9%

The items testers recorded most often were headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.9%), stop lamp not working (4.1%) and component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (4.1%).

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

Full Nissan Primera MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The Primera'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.31.4% of Primera failure items

  2. 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.17.6% of Primera failure items

  3. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.14.5% of Primera failure items

Nissan Primeras in the UK

1,839 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 96% since the end of 2014.

Change since 2014
−96%from 47,357 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
6,12977% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Nissan Primeras since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 201447,357
End of 201537,763
End of 201629,111
End of 201721,640
End of 201815,929
End of 201911,622
End of 20208,752
End of 20216,356
End of 20224,853
End of 20233,704
End of 20242,780
End of 20252,091
End of June 20261,839

How old they are

Licensed Nissan Primeras by year of first use.

A further 11 were first used before 1992.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025
2006309
2005440
2004314
2003245
2002184
2001114
200041
1999113
1998138
199784
199625
199511
19949
19938
199211

Primera engines and fuel

1.8 litre engines made up 56% of Nissan Primera MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.0 litre at 29%. Petrol accounts for 92% of licensed Primeras and diesel for 7.9%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 2,490 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 1.8 litre56%
  • 2.0 litre28.6%
  • 1.6 litre8.6%
  • 2.2 litre6.8%

Fuel type, licensed Primeras

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol1,69192%
Diesel1468%
Gas20.1%

Nissan Primera recalls

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

  1. Dec 2003 R/2003/170

    Engine may stall

    Primeras built Jan 1999 to Sep 2002 · 111,831 vehicles across the whole recall

    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.

  2. Nov 2002 R/2002/151

    Possible deflation of front left hand tyre

    2,758 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    A conveyor used during vehicle manufacturing may have damaged the front left hand tyre. In extreme cases the damage could lead to possible deflation of the affected tyre.
    Remedy
    Examine tyre for damage and replace where necessary.

  3. Jan 2002 R/2001/154

    Engine may stall

    Primeras built Mar 2000 to Jul 2001 · 40,455 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    A concern has been identified affecting 1.5 1.6 and 1.8 petrol engine crankshaft and camshaft position sensors (a common part). An internal failure of the component may cause the engine to stall and not restart.
    Remedy
    Recall affected vehicles and fit a quality assured replacement crankshaft and camshaft position sensor.

  4. Oct 1995 R/1995/063

    Brake hoses may chafe

    Primeras built Jan 1990 to Dec 1994 · 74,000 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Under certain circumstances a front flexible brake hose may split leading to fluid loss and reduced brake performance.
    Remedy
    Recall the affected vehicles for the fitment of modified front brake hoses.
How to check a specific Primera for recalls

Other Nissan models

The most-tested Nissan models in 2025, against the Primera's 57.2% MOT pass rate.

All 25 Nissan models

Nissan Primera FAQs

How many Nissan Primeras are there in the UK?

1,839 Nissan Primeras were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 6,129 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Nissan Primera 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 57.2% first-time pass rate for the Nissan Primera across 2,490 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Nissan Primera had any recalls?

4 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Nissan Primera. The most recent was published in December 2003. 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 Primera?

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 Primera'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 Primera?

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.