Nissan Leaf 2012: MOT failure rate for its age
28.5% of 2,923 MOT tests of the Nissan Leaf first registered in 2012 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 88.0 (95% CI 82.0–94.0; 100 = normal for this model at that age): the 2012 Nissan Leaf fails less often than other build years of the same model at the same age. This is a rough estimate from a smaller sample.
| Measure | Value | Unit | Compared with | Years | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Failed first time | 28.5 | % | all ages tested | 2019–2024 | 2923 |
| Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 82.0–94.0) | 88.0 | index | 100 = normal for this model at that age | 2019–2024 | 2923 |
| Rank among this model's 10 build years | 1 | of 10 | 1 = fails least for its age | 2019–2024 | 2923 |
| Tested in 2024 | 468 | tests | median 56,725 miles | 2024 | 468 |
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).
How does the 2012 Nissan Leaf fail at each age?
Cars built in 2012 were tested at ages 7 to 12 between 2019 and 2024. Each row compares their first-time failure share with what this model normally shows at that age, after allowing for the overall failure level of each test year.
| Age | Tests | Failed, % | 95% interval | Normal for this model at that age, % | Index (100 = normal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 512 | 17.6 | 14.5–21.1 | 26 | 67.7 |
| 8 | 473 (rough estimate) | 23.5 | 19.9–27.5 | 29.9 | 78.6 |
| 9 | 485 (rough estimate) | 27.2 | 23.4–31.3 | 33.9 | 80.4 |
| 10 | 495 (rough estimate) | 33.5 | 29.5–37.8 | 36 | 93.1 |
| 11 | 490 (rough estimate) | 34.5 | 30.4–38.8 | 36.2 | 95.3 |
| 12 | 468 (rough estimate) | 35.5 | 31.3–39.9 | 32.8 | 108.1 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 2,923 (initial tests) · Method: normal rate = this model's first-time failure share at that age across its build years (cells of 400+ tests), adjusted for each test year's overall level; cells of 30+ tests, under 500 marked rough · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
What fails most on the 2012 Nissan Leaf?
The most common failure group on cars built in 2012 is suspension: 21.1 items per 100 first tests, against 6.3 across all build years of the Nissan Leaf. These counts are not age-adjusted: cars built in 2012 were tested at ages 7 to 12.
| Failure group | Built 2012, per 100 | All build years, per 100 | Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 21.1 | 6.3 | 617 |
| Brakes | 11.2 | 5.9 | 328 |
| Tyres | 9 | 7.7 | 263 |
| Visibility | 7.4 | 7 | 217 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7 | 3.2 | 206 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 2,923 (initial tests of this build year) · Method: failure items grouped by DVSA's top-level defect groups, per 100 initial tests; groups with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
How does 2012 compare with the years around it?
Among the 10 published build years of the Nissan Leaf, 2012 ranks 1 (1 = fails least for its age). 2011: index 90.2. 2013: index 113.4.
| Build year | Index (100 = normal) | 95% interval | Verdict | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 90.2 | 84.2–96.3 | better (rough estimate) | 2,759 |
| 2012 | 88.0 | 82.0–94.0 | better (rough estimate) | 2,923 |
| 2013 | 113.4 | 109.1–117.8 | worse | 7,687 |
| 2014 | 111.7 | 108.7–114.6 | worse | 18,566 |
| 2015 | 104.6 | 101.9–107.3 | worse | 24,274 |
| 2016 | 105.2 | 102.1–108.2 | worse | 24,333 |
| 2017 | 96.4 | 93.4–99.4 | better | 26,791 |
| 2018 | 89.6 | 86.1–93.1 | better | 20,712 |
| 2019 | 89.0 | 84.8–93.2 | better | 15,805 |
| 2020 | 96.3 | 91.6–101.0 | no different | 15,916 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 159,766 (initial tests) · Method: observed failures against those expected for the same model at the same ages, test-year level adjusted; verdict follows the printed one-decimal bound · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
How to cite this page
MOT Risk Index (2026). Nissan Leaf 2012 MOT statistics (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 30 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/nissan-leaf/2012/
How every figure is calculated: methodology. Age, test year and build year are tied together (age = test year − build year), so the test-year level is taken as observed, not estimated.
Other pages for this model
Nissan Leaf 2011 · Nissan Leaf 2013 · Nissan Leaf 2014 · Nissan Leaf 2015 · Nissan Leaf 2016 · Nissan Leaf 2017 · Nissan Leaf 2018 · Nissan Leaf 2019 · Nissan Leaf 2020 · Nissan Leaf in Finland · Nissan Leaf in Norway · Nissan Leaf in the Netherlands · Nissan Leaf by postcode area · Nissan Leaf body, chassis and structure failures · Nissan Leaf brakes failures · Nissan Leaf vehicle identification failures · Nissan Leaf lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Nissan Leaf road wheels failures · Nissan Leaf seat belts and airbags failures · Nissan Leaf steering failures · Nissan Leaf suspension failures · Nissan Leaf tyres failures · Nissan Leaf visibility failures