MOT Risk Index.co.uk

Nissan Terrano 2003: MOT failure rate for its age

48.0% of 2,964 MOT tests of the Nissan Terrano first registered in 2003 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 97.5 (95% CI 92.4–102.5; 100 = normal for this model at that age): the 2003 build year is no different from other years of the same model at the same age. This is a rough estimate from a smaller sample.

Nissan Terrano built in 2003 at a glance
MeasureValueUnitCompared withYearsTests
Failed first time48.0%all ages tested2019–20242964
Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 92.4–102.5)97.5index100 = normal for this model at that age2019–20242964
Rank among this model's 6 build years3of 61 = fails least for its age2019–20242964
Tested in 2024244testsmedian 107,845 miles2024244
line · Nissan Terrano built 2003 · first-time MOT failure share by age · built 2003 50% vs model normal 52.5% at age 16 · 2019–2024
Built 2003 against Nissan Terrano normal for the age: first-time MOT failure share at each age, age 16: 50% vs 52.5%; age 17: 47.8% vs 48.5%; age 18: 47.3% vs 46.9%; age 19: 45% vs 46.3%; age 20: 46.9% vs n/a%; age 21: 40.6% vs n/a%. Axis from 0% to 60%. DVSA MOT bulk data, 2019–2024.

Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).

How does the 2003 Nissan Terrano fail at each age?

Cars built in 2003 were tested at ages 16 to 21 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.

Nissan Terrano built 2003: first-time MOT failure by age, against the model's normal rate at that age (2019–2024)
AgeTestsFailed, %95% intervalNormal for this model at that age, %Index (100 = normal)
161,0975047–52.952.595.1
1776147.844.3–51.448.598.7
1862647.343.4–51.246.9100.8
19480 (rough estimate)4540.6–49.546.397.2
20373 (rough estimate)46.941.9–52not availablenot available
21244 (rough estimate)40.634.6–46.8not availablenot available

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 3,581 (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 2003 Nissan Terrano?

The most common failure group on cars built in 2003 is suspension: 57.9 items per 100 first tests, against 49.4 across all build years of the Nissan Terrano. These counts are not age-adjusted: cars built in 2003 were tested at ages 16 to 21.

Failure items per 100 first tests, Nissan Terrano built 2003 against the Nissan Terrano in all build years (2019–2024, not age-adjusted)
Failure groupBuilt 2003, per 100All build years, per 100Items
Suspension57.949.42,074
Body, chassis, structure50.549.91,808
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment30.930.31,107
Brakes2627.5931
Visibility18.313.7656

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 3,581 (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 2003 compare with the years around it?

Among the 6 published build years of the Nissan Terrano, 2003 ranks 3 (1 = fails least for its age). 2002: index 99.3. 2004: index 96.0.

Nissan Terrano build years: index against the model at the same age (2019–2024)
Build yearIndex (100 = normal)95% intervalVerdictTests
200194.585.2–103.8no different (rough estimate)832
200299.392.6–105.9no different (rough estimate)1,716
200397.592.4–102.5no different (rough estimate)2,964
200496.092.0–100.1no different4,528
200597.993.0–102.8no different (rough estimate)3,144
2006106.994.8–119.1no different (rough estimate)577

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 13,761 (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 Terrano 2003 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-terrano/2003/

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 Terrano 2001 · Nissan Terrano 2002 · Nissan Terrano 2004 · Nissan Terrano 2005 · Nissan Terrano 2006 · Nissan Terrano by postcode area · Nissan Terrano body, chassis and structure failures · Nissan Terrano brakes failures · Nissan Terrano vehicle identification failures · Nissan Terrano lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Nissan Terrano noise, emissions and leaks failures · Nissan Terrano road wheels failures · Nissan Terrano seat belts and airbags failures · Nissan Terrano steering failures · Nissan Terrano suspension failures · Nissan Terrano tyres failures · Nissan Terrano visibility failures