52,897 Leafs had an MOT in 2025. 80.2% passed first time, against 82.4% for other cars of the same age and mileage. Most of the gap comes from cars registered from 2013 to 2016, which fail on suspension 2.3 times as often as comparable cars. Those registered from 2018 onwards pass as often as other cars their age.
Each dot compares how often Leafs of that year failed on one area of the test with cars of the same age and mileage.
| Year | Passed first time | Against same age and mileage | MOTs | Suspension | Steering | Brakes | Tyres | Lights & electrics | Visibility | Body & structure | Emissions & leaks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 57.5% | −10.2 | 1,206 | ||||||||
| 2014 | 60.4% | −9.9 | 2,963 | ||||||||
| 2015 | 65.1% | −8.8 | 3,969 | ||||||||
| 2016 | 66.3% | −9.5 | 3,873 | ||||||||
| 2017 | 76.1% | −3.2 | 4,872 | ||||||||
| 2018 | 80.6% | −0.3 | 4,924 | ||||||||
| 2019 | 83.8% | −0.1 | 4,995 | ||||||||
| 2020 | 85.5% | −0.7 | 7,748 | ||||||||
| 2021 | 89.1% | +1.1 | 8,764 | ||||||||
| 2022 | 91.0% | +1.4 | 8,753 |
Much worse: failed on that area at least 1.5 times as often. Worse: 1.15 to 1.5 times. Better: up to 0.87 times. Much better: two-thirds as often or less. Gaps under half a percentage point count as about the same. Registration year is the year the car was first used.
Well behind: 5 or more points below cars of the same age and mileage. Behind: 1.5 to 5 points below. Level: within 1.5 points. Ahead: 1.5 or more points above.
7.2% of Leaf MOTs failed on suspension, against 3.6% for cars of the same age and mileage, and 6.7% on tyres, against 5.3%.
Up to 60,000 miles, Leafs pass as often as cars of the same age and mileage. Behind from there: 60–90,000 miles 6.6 points, 90–120,000 miles 8.2 points, 120,000+ miles 6.8 points.
| Fuel | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 49,106 | 79.6% | 82.1% | −2.5 | 40,812 |
| Electric | 3,791 | 88.4% | 87.3% | +1.1 | 29,898 |
Cars registered 2014 to 2021, each against cars of the same age and mileage. The Leaf ranks 14 of 15.
| Model | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. VW Golf | 453,675 | 84.7% | 77.2% | +7.5 | |
| 2. Audi A3 | 236,485 | 83.4% | 76.3% | +7.1 | |
| 3. Skoda Octavia | 130,349 | 81.5% | 75.7% | +5.8 | |
| 4. Toyota Corolla | 55,580 | 89.2% | 84.2% | +5.1 | |
| 5. Toyota Auris | 78,822 | 78.5% | 73.7% | +4.8 | |
| 6. Honda Civic | 96,393 | 82.2% | 77.5% | +4.8 | |
| 7. BMW 1 Series | 216,359 | 81.6% | 77.1% | +4.5 | |
| 8. Seat Leon | 133,332 | 79.6% | 77.2% | +2.3 | |
| 9. Mercedes A-Class | 285,897 | 80.7% | 79.2% | +1.6 | |
| 10. Ford Focus | 433,954 | 77.1% | 76.9% | +0.2 | |
| 11. Kia Ceed | 68,633 | 75.8% | 76.8% | −1.0 | |
| 12. Vauxhall Astra | 259,770 | 73.6% | 75.2% | −1.6 | |
| 13. Hyundai i30 | 54,108 | 73.1% | 75.3% | −2.2 | |
| 14. Nissan Leaf | 42,108 | 78.9% | 81.7% | −2.7 | |
| 15. Peugeot 308 | 69,563 | 71.2% | 75.2% | −4.0 |
What testers most often noted as advisories on Leafs in 2025: wear that passed but was close to failing. Figures in brackets are for cars of the same age and mileage.
At the MOT, 80.2% of 52,897 Leaf MOTs in 2025 passed first time, against 82.4% for cars of the same age and mileage. 2013 to 2016: well behind (−8.8 to −10.2 points). 2017: behind (−3.2 points). 2018 to 2022: level (−0.7 to +1.4 points).
Going by 2025 MOT results, 2013 to 2016 and 2017. Those cars passed first time −8.8 to −10.2 and −3.2 points against comparable cars.
Ball joint excessively worn: 4.1% of Leaf MOTs, against 0.6% for cars of the same age and mileage.
For cars registered 2014 to 2021, the VW Golf passed 84.7% first time, +7.5 points against comparable cars. The Leaf passed 78.9%, −2.7 points.
Data. Every car MOT in Great Britain in 2025 (31,475,521 first tests on cars first used 2005 to 2022), from DVSA's anonymised MOT test data. Retests are left out.
Passed first time. A car passed if its first test that year ended in a pass. Cars that failed and were fixed within the hour count as fails, as DVSA counts them.
Same age and mileage. We group every car by the year it was first used and its mileage (under 30k, 30–60k, 60–90k, 90–120k, over 120k). The comparison figure is what those groups scored, weighted to match the Leaf's mix of ages and mileages.
Model. Every car DVSA records as a Nissan Leaf: 8 recorded model names, from "LEAF" to trims such as "LEAF E + N-CONNECTA".
The full method, including how each report-card dot and year group is decided.