Used car guide

2020 Nissan NV250: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2020 Nissan NV250s, from 639 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

639MOT tests in 2025
66%pass first time (all 2020 cars: 86%)
12,000typical miles a year
40.3×the usual rate for brake lights

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2020 Nissan NV250s than on all cars registered in 2020.

  • Brake lights40.3× usual
    Nissan NV250
    16.1% All 2020 cars
    0.4%

    Failed outright at MOT: 12.4%, against 0.3% of all 2020 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    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.

  • Number plate lights16.2× usual
    Nissan NV250
    14.6% All 2020 cars
    0.9%

    Failed outright at MOT: 7%, against 0.3% of all 2020 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £5–£40 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check the number plate lights work and the plates are clean and legal.

  • Sidelights20.3× usual
    Nissan NV250
    6.1% All 2020 cars
    0.3%

    Failed outright at MOT: 6.1%, against 0.2% of all 2020 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    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.

  • Windscreen4.4× usual
    Nissan NV250
    7.5% All 2020 cars
    1.7%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.2%, against 0.1% of all 2020 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £60–£300 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check for chips or cracks in the driver's view.

  • Wipers2.7× usual
    Nissan NV250
    7.7% All 2020 cars
    2.9%

    Failed outright at MOT: 6.3%, against 1.8% of all 2020 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £15–£60 our estimate

    At the viewing: Test the wipers and washers on every speed.

By area

The share of 2020 Nissan NV250 MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Lights and electrics
    32% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Tyres
    31% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Brakes
    29% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    17% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Suspension
    5% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Oil and fluid leaks
    2% of testsRough price £80–£600

    At the viewing: Look under the engine and on the ground where the car is usually parked for fresh oil or fluid.

Looking at a Nissan NV250?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20211,469Tyres 31%
2019131Tyres 30%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2020 Nissan NV250s registered in 2020. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score