Used car guide · 2003–2010

Nissan Micra K12: best and worst years, and what goes wrong

How every year of the Nissan Micra K12 did at its MOT in 2025 compared with other cars the same age, the weak spots that keep coming up, and what to check before you buy one. From 99,009 MOT tests.

2008best year: 58% pass first time, 1 points above all 2008 cars

2005weakest year: 50% pass first time, 8 points below all 2005 cars

Individual direction indicatorsthe weak spot that shows up in 6 different years

Year by year

First-time MOT pass rate for each year of the Nissan Micra K12, against all cars registered the same year. Older cars fail more, so the comparison with cars the same age is what matters.

This model, first-time pass rate All cars registered that year · * changeover year: some cars are the previous or next generation

Year	Pass first time	All cars that year	Stands out	MOT tests
2003	52%	59% -7	Headlights 1.9× usual	7,615
2004	52%	58% -6	Headlights 2× usual	8,521
2005	50%	58% -8	Headlights 1.8× usual	12,779
2006	54%	57% -3	Individual direction indicators 3.2× usual	15,302
2007	55%	57% -2	Suspension arm bushes and joints 1.7× usual	11,930
2008	58%	57% +1	Individual direction indicators 3.5× usual	13,249
2009	58%	58% +0	Individual direction indicators 3.5× usual	14,692
2010*	59%	59% +0	Individual direction indicators 2.9× usual	14,921

Weak spots across the Nissan Micra K12

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year of this generation. Repeat findings like these are much less likely to be chance.

Individual direction indicatorsup to 3.5× usual

Stands out in 6 years: 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004.

Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.
Suspension arm bushes and jointsup to 1.8× usual

Stands out in 5 years: 2009, 2007, 2005, 2004, 2003.

Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.
Front strutsup to 3.3× usual

Stands out in 4 years: 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006.

Rough price £120–£400 our estimate

At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.
Sub-frame bushesup to 4.4× usual

Stands out in 3 years: 2009, 2008, 2007.

Rough price £300–£1,000 our estimate

At the viewing: Look underneath at the frame the suspension bolts to. Flaky rust or holes are expensive to fix.
Side repeatersup to 4.1× usual

Stands out in 3 years: 2006, 2004, 2003.

Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.
Link ball joint coversup to 2.1× usual

Stands out in 3 years: 2007, 2006, 2005.

Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanic

At the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting each car's main test of the year (not retests). A weak spot needs at least 30 cars flagged and must stay 1.5× the usual rate even at the cautious end of a 95% confidence range. Generation years are approximate: cars registered in a changeover year (*) can be either generation. How we score

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