Used car guide · 2009–2013

Nissan Pixo common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong on a used Nissan Pixo, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 34,132 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.

34,132MOTs done in 2023–2025, all years of this model
10,852on the UK register
2012best year at its MOT

Pick the year

Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).

20132012201120102009

What usually goes wrong with a Nissan Pixo?

We haven’t found widely reported faults for the Nissan Pixo in the UK buying guides we use yet. That doesn’t mean it has none, so check the car carefully and look at the MOT weak spots below.

Common Nissan Pixo MOT failures to check

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2023–2025.

  • Rigid brake pipes

    up to 4.8× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

    Rough price £100–£400 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask to see underneath, or check the MOT advisories: corroded brake or fuel pipes get worse every year and fail the MOT when they do.

  • Wipers

    up to 2.8× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

    Rough price £15–£60 our estimate

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

  • Drive shaft (CV) joints

    up to 2.3× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

    Rough price £60–£350 our estimate

    At the viewing: Drive slowly on full steering lock in both directions and listen for clicking. Look for split rubber boots behind the front wheels.

  • Suspension arm bushes and joints

    up to 2.2× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

    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.

  • Horn

    up to 7× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2012 and 2013.

    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.

  • Headlights

    up to 2.2× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2010 and 2011.

    Rough price £40–£400 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check both headlights on dipped and full beam, and look for cloudy or cracked lenses.

Nissan Pixo MOT pass rate by year

Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2012 Nissan Pixo did best (68% passed first time, 4 points above all 2012 cars) and the 2013 did worst (70%, 3 points above all 2013 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.

YearPass first timeAll cars that yearMOT tests
201370%67% +31,446
201268%64% +45,348
201166%62% +45,840
201063%60% +311,608
200962%59% +39,890

Questions to ask the seller before buying a Nissan Pixo

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the rigid brake pipes? (Flagged at MOT 4.8× as often on the Nissan Pixo as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Any recent work on the wipers? (Flagged at MOT 2.8× as often on the Nissan Pixo as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Any recent work on the drive shaft (cv) joints? (Flagged at MOT 2.3× as often on the Nissan Pixo as on other cars the same age.)
  4. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Nissan Pixo?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, whether it already shows these weak spots and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score