Is the Nissan Primastar reliable?

The Nissan Primastar has an average MOT pass rate of 67% across 13 years, based on 18,019 tests in 2024. That's 15 points below the national average of 82%. The most reliable year is 2009 with a 69% pass rate.

Which year Nissan Primastar is best?

The 2009 Nissan Primastar has the highest MOT pass rate at 69%, while the 2002 model has the lowest at 63%. There's a 6 percentage point spread between the best and worst years.

Nissan Primastar Running Costs, MOT Pass Rates & Reliability

Nissan Primastar

Reliability, running costs, and MOT data across 13 years from 18,019 real MOT tests.

Avg Pass Rate

67%

Total Tests

18,019

Best Year

2009 (69%)

Years Covered

How reliable is the Nissan Primastar?

vs national average-15% (82% avg)

vs Nissan brand average-14% (81% avg)

Best to worst year spread6 percentage points

Reliability trendStable over years

Nissan Primastar by Year

Year	Pass Rate	Tests	Avg Mileage
2014	69%	908	121,231 mi
2013	68%	1,048	130,256 mi
2012	66%	983	136,981 mi
2011	67%	1,866	136,762 mi
2010	65%	872	141,695 mi
2009	69%	1,470	141,757 mi
2008	68%	1,765	144,508 mi
2007	68%	2,551	150,502 mi
2006	68%	2,109	151,442 mi
2005	68%	1,914	152,431 mi
2004	68%	1,531	155,712 mi
2003	67%	932	154,552 mi
2002	63%	70	149,766 mi

Checking a specific Nissan Primastar?

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About the Nissan Primastar

The Nissan Primastar has been tested 18,019 times in 2024 MOT data across 13 model years (2002 to 2014), with an average pass rate of 67%. That's 15 points below the national average of 82%, so check the year-by-year data carefully before buying. Available as diesel and petrol.

Best and Worst Years

The 2009 model is the most reliable with a 69% pass rate from 1,470 tests. The 2002 model has the lowest at 63%. The 6 point spread between years means reliability varies somewhat, but no year is dramatically different.

Reliability Trend

The NISSAN PRIMASTAR has maintained consistent MOT pass rates across model years, varying by only 0 percentage points.

Mileage Across Years

The oldest model in our data (2002) averages 149,766 miles, while the newest (2014) averages 121,231 miles. Older models have covered serious mileage, so suspension and drivetrain wear are worth checking.

Compared to the Nissan brand average of 81%, the Primastar is 14 points lower, placing it among the less reliable Nissan models.

Click any year in the table above to see detailed running costs, individual reliability data, and comparisons with similar cars.