MOT data by first-use year
2005 Nissan Elgrand: MOT fail rate and common problems
DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 5,028 MOT tests · Updated
30.9% of 2005 Nissan Elgrand cars failed their MOT at 18 years; measured against vehicles the same age and test year, about the same as the 2006 cars (1,131 MOT tests) [1].
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- −17.7 to −6.2 points: the gap to all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year, from 17 to 20 years, 5,028 MOT tests
- Side/position light not working: fails less often than all class 4 vehicles the same age (0.5–0.7×) at 18 years, 4,557 MOT tests of Nissan Elgrand cars first used 2004–2007
- At 20 years (tested 2025): 35.7% failed, against 41.9% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 20 years in 2025, 1,442 MOT tests
Engine, fuel and mileage decide where one vehicle sits within these figures. Check the reg first.
Figures are for 2005 Nissan Elgrand cars as a group, not for one car.
- Fail rate at 18 years (2023)
- 30.9%
- vs 43.3% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 18 years in 2023
- 1,131 MOT tests
- Gap to all class 4, same age and year
- −11.2 pts
- over ages 17–20: −17.7 to −6.2 pts
- 5,028 MOT tests
- Against the 2006 cars
- −0.7 pts
- 95% range −4.5 to +3.1 pts, same ages, each against its own test year
- 1,131 MOT tests
- MOT tests of 2005 cars
- 5,028
- tested 2022–2025, 4 ages with 1,000+ tests
- 5,028 MOT tests
About the same as the 2006 cars: −0.7 points at age 18, each year against all class 4 vehicles the same age tested in its own year; 95% range −4.5 to +3.1, from 1,131 MOT tests of 2005 cars and 1,185 of the 2006 cars. Not adjusted for mileage.
Every Nissan Elgrand year against all class 4 vehicles the same age
2005 Nissan Elgrand fail rate at each MOT
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 17 to 20 years old, the fail rate went from 26.2% to 35.7%, and the gap to all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year from −17.7 to −6.2 points. The widest gap was at 17 years (−17.7 points, 1,059 MOT tests).
| Test year | Age | Fail rate | 95% range | MOT tests | All class 4, same age and year | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 17 years | 26.2% | 23.6%–28.9% | 1,059 | 43.9% | −17.7 pts |
| 2023 | 18 years | 30.9% | 28.2%–33.6% | 1,131 | 43.3% | −12.4 pts |
| 2024 | 19 years* | 32.7% | 30.3%–35.2% | 1,396 | 43.0% | −10.3 pts |
| 2025 | 20 years* | 35.7% | 33.3%–38.2% | 1,442 | 41.9% | −6.2 pts |
* Above 18 years only survivors are still tested, so these rows say less about the vehicle when new and do not count towards the verdict.
All class 4: every class 4 vehicle (cars and light vans) tested at that age in the same test year.
2005 against the 2006 cars, age by age
| Age | 2005 | Years either side |
|---|---|---|
| 18 years | 30.9% 1,131 MOT tests, tested 2023 | 2006: 31.6% (1,185, tested 2024) |
Each year was tested in a different calendar year; the verdict compares each against all class 4 vehicles the same age tested in its own year.
What fails on a Nissan Elgrand at 18 years
All Nissan Elgrand MOTs at 18 years, cars first used 2004–2007 (4,557 MOT tests; DVSA item counts are not split by first-use year). The most common fail items: linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (3.7 per 100 MOT tests), side/position light not working (3.5 per 100 MOT tests, a wear item) and brake pads under 1.5 mm (3.2 per 100 MOT tests, a wear item).
Side/position light not working: fails less often than all class 4 vehicles the same age (0.5–0.7×), across at least 3 ages.
Car tax and ULEZ for a 2005 car
A car first registered in the UK in 2005 was issued a 54 (January–February), 05 (March–August) or 55 (September–December) plate, unless it was registered in Northern Ireland (no age identifier) or has since moved to a private plate. An imported one is plated when first registered here, so its plate can be newer than its first-use year. 05 plates
A 2005 car is taxed by its CO2 emissions band (A to M), shown on the V5C logbook. [2] Car tax calculator for a 2005 petrol car
For the London ULEZ, a 2005 petrol may or may not meet Euro 4. The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. [3] ULEZ checker
Buying a Nissan Elgrand? Check that exact car before the viewing.
Buying Report £14.99 incl. VAT · one car · no subscription · Not a mechanical inspection.
- Model risks for this year and fuel
- What similar cars did at their next MOT
- Repairs ahead
- Viewing checklist
Questions people ask
What is the MOT fail rate of a 2005 Nissan Elgrand?
30.9% at 18 years (tested 2023), from 1,131 MOT tests, against 43.3% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 18 years in 2023.
Does the 2005 Nissan Elgrand fail more MOTs than the 2006?
0.7 percentage points apart at age 18, each against all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year, from 1,131 MOT tests (95% range −4.5 to +3.1), so about the same.
At what ages were 2005 Nissan Elgrand cars MOT tested in the data?
4 ages with at least 1,000 MOT tests: 17–20 years, tested 2022–2025, 5,028 MOT tests in all. Ages over 18 are shown but not used for the verdict.
What fails most on a Nissan Elgrand at 18 years?
3.7 in 100 MOT tests failed on linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt, the most common fail item. From 4,557 MOT tests of Nissan Elgrand cars first used 2004–2007, not only 2005.
Sources
- Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 5,028 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
- GOV.UK, Vehicle tax rates. Rules, not drawn from the MOT data.
- Transport for London, Ultra Low Emission Zone. Rules, not drawn from the MOT data.
Cars tested at 18 years are compared with every class 4 vehicle tested at 18 years in the same test year. These rates are not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare