86.2%
Nissan Skyline pass rate
Used Nissan Skyline buying guide
In 2025, Nissan Skyline cars passed 86.2% of 2,035 initial MOT tests, 13.9 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific Skyline? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Nissan Skyline MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+13.9
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the Skyline sits 103rd of 575 models in the data. Nissan as a brand averaged 67.8%, so this model runs 18.5 points ahead of its own brand. Nissan Skyline cars aged 6 to 10 years passed 86.1% of MOT tests in 2025; examples aged 11 years and over held almost level at 86.2%.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Nissan Skyline MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the Skyline compares with similar cars.
Skyline fuel types
Petrol was the most common fuel among Nissan Skyline cars tested in 2025. None of the tested examples were diesel.
Where the Skyline fails its MOT
Where Nissan Skyline cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were catalyst emissions lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (4.4%), catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (3.8%) and rear fog lamp not working (3.5%). See every common Skyline MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Nissan Skyline that failed, not a claim that every Skyline has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used Skyline?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at 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. 30.5% of Skyline failure items.
2
Noise, emissions and leaks
Listen for a blowing exhaust, watch for smoke on start-up and look under the car for oil or fluid leaks. 19.2% of Skyline failure items.
3
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 13.6% of Skyline failure items.
4
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. 9.6% of Skyline failure items.
5
Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly. 6.1% of Skyline failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Nissan Skyline failures cluster around lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and noise, emissions and leaks tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact Skyline you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the Nissan history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used Nissan models
The most-tested Nissan models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the Skyline.
Used Nissan Skyline FAQs
Is the Nissan Skyline 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 an 86.2% first-time pass rate for the Nissan Skyline across 2,035 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Do older Nissan Skyline cars fail their MOT more often?
Nissan Skyline cars aged 6 to 10 years passed 86.1% of MOT tests in 2025; examples aged 11 years and over held almost level at 86.2%. On an older example, the car's own MOT history tells you more than the model average.
What should I check before buying a used Nissan Skyline?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, noise, emissions and leaks and suspension. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a Nissan Skyline'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.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.