86.2%
Nissan Skyline
Nissan Skyline MOT pass rate and common problems
The Nissan Skyline passed 86.2% of its initial MOT tests in 2025, 13.9 percentage points above the 72.3% UK average. The item testers recorded most often was catalyst emissions lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits.
Checking a specific car? Its own results, advisories and recorded mileages are in a free MOT history check.
How the Skyline compares
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded. A car that failed and was repaired at the test station counts as a fail.
67.8%
Nissan average
72.3%
UK average, all cars
The Skyline runs 18.5 points ahead of the Nissan average. It is 3rd of the 25 Nissan models in the data. The average Skyline arrived at its test 21.7 years old with 86,080 miles recorded.
A pass rate records whether cars met the roadworthiness standard on test day. It is not a reliability score, and part of any gap reflects how old the tested cars were.
Skyline MOT pass rate by age
The same 2025 tests split by the car's age at test.
Nissan Skyline cars aged 6 to 10 years passed 86.1% of MOT tests. Cars aged 11 years and over held almost level at 86.2%.
| Age at test | Tests | Pass rate | vs UK average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 years (small sample) | 37 | 91.9% | 19.6 pts above |
| 6 to 10 years | 294 | 86.1% | 13.8 pts above |
| 11 years and over | 1,701 | 86.2% | 13.9 pts above |
Older examples test at least as well as newer ones here, which usually says more about how the surviving cars have been kept than about age itself. The UK average of 72.3% covers cars of every age, so compare like with like.
Where Skyline failures cluster
Every failure item recorded on Nissan Skyline cars in 2025, grouped into the DVSA's test areas.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and noise, emissions and leaks together account for 49.6% of recorded failure items. These are recorded failures across the model, not faults every car has.
The 10 most common Skyline MOT failures
Specific items recorded on Nissan Skyline cars that failed their 2025 MOT, as a share of all recorded failure items.
Together these 10 items make up 29.9% of everything testers recorded against failed Nissan Skyline cars. The rest is spread across many smaller items, and one failed test often records several at once.
What to look at on a Skyline
The recorded failures above, grouped by area, biggest first.
1
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Recorded most often: rear fog lamp not working, headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect, position lamp not working and headlamp aim too high. 12.2% of failure items.
2
Noise, emissions and leaks
Recorded most often: catalyst emissions lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits, catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits and emissions not tested unable to be completed. 10.3% of failure items.
3
Suspension
Recorded most often: component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength. 3.5% of failure items.
4
Brakes
Recorded most often: rigid brake pipes excessively corroded. 2% of failure items.
The car's own MOT history matters more than any model average. A free MOT history check shows whether a specific Skyline has failed on these items before, or had them noted as advisories. Buying one? See the used Nissan Skyline buying guide.
Already found one?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Nissan Skyline MOT FAQs
What is the Nissan Skyline MOT pass rate?
86.2% of Nissan Skyline cars passed their initial MOT first time in 2025, from 2,035 tests. That is 13.9 percentage points above the 72.3% average for all cars, and ranks 103rd of 575 models.
What does a Nissan Skyline most commonly fail its MOT on?
The item testers recorded most often on Nissan Skyline cars failing their 2025 MOT was catalyst emissions lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits, on 4.4% of failure items. Next were catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (3.8%) and rear fog lamp not working (3.5%).
Which area causes the most Nissan Skyline MOT failures?
Across every recorded failure item, the largest area was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment at 30.5%, followed by noise, emissions and leaks at 19.2%.
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, against 86.2% for cars aged 11 years and over.
Does this mean every Nissan Skyline has these problems?
No. These are the items testers recorded across every Nissan Skyline that failed in 2025. They show where the model most often needs attention, not the condition of any individual car.
How do I see a specific Nissan Skyline's MOT history?
Enter its registration on the free Carpeep MOT history check to see that car's own test results, failures, advisories and recorded mileages.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025: class 4 initial tests, retests excluded, with failure items from failed tests (advisories and minor defects excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.