Does the Nissan Pulsar fail the MOT on suspension more than it should?
The Nissan Pulsar records 7.45 suspension failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 5.05 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+2.40, 95% interval +2.24 to +2.55). It ranks 180 of 701 models on suspension (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on suspension · check a Nissan Pulsar by registration
What exactly fails on suspension?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Nissan Pulsar is “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn”, recorded 4,571 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 4,571 | 3.75 |
| A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 3,184 | 2.61 |
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 381 | 0.31 |
| A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 327 | 0.27 |
| A suspension pin, bush or joint likely to become detached | 270 | 0.22 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 122,037 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Nissan Pulsar gets a suspension advisory, how often does it fail next time?
22.2% of Nissan Pulsar MOTs with a suspension advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 7,407 miles later (4,509 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 4,509 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Nissan Pulsar 2014 · Nissan Pulsar 2015 · Nissan Pulsar 2016 · Nissan Pulsar 2017 · Nissan Pulsar 2018 · Nissan Pulsar in Finland · Nissan Pulsar in the Netherlands · Nissan Pulsar by postcode area · Nissan Pulsar body, chassis and structure failures · Nissan Pulsar brakes failures · Nissan Pulsar vehicle identification failures · Nissan Pulsar lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Nissan Pulsar noise, emissions and leaks failures · Nissan Pulsar road wheels failures · Nissan Pulsar seat belts and airbags failures · Nissan Pulsar steering failures · Nissan Pulsar tyres failures · Nissan Pulsar visibility failures