2014 Nissan Qashqai 1.5L Diesel · DP14 WNB

A front suspension and steering defect sits at the centre of this Qashqai's mechanical record. The 2023 test produced a Dangerous failure for an offside front tyre below 1.6mm tread and a Major defect for excessive play in the offside front track rod end ball joint, accompanied by an advisory for a nearside rear tyre worn to its legal limit. Since that event the car has passed three consecutive tests, but the 2025 advisories for slight play in the offside front anti-roll bar ball joint and a deteriorated but legible front registration plate indicate the front-end wear pattern has not fully resolved. The 2026 test returned a pass with a single advisory for a nearside front tyre worn close to the legal limit on its edge, which is consistent with the recurring edge-wear theme across multiple corners of the vehicle over several years. Annual mileage works out at roughly 9,400 miles, which is broadly in line with average use for a twelve year old car and shows no extended periods off the road between recorded tests. The testing history is continuous from 2020 through 2026 with no gaps, and the mileage progression between tests is consistent with steady, moderate use rather than high-mileage motorway running or long-term storage. This kind of pattern typically produces even wear on consumables rather than the uneven degradation often seen on cars that have sat idle, and the absence of structural corrosion advisories on the underside across eight tests supports that interpretation. For a prospective buyer, the front suspension and steering components are the priority area for physical inspection, given the track rod end failure in 2023 and the slight play still noted in the anti-roll bar ball joint in 2025. On a test drive, listen for clonking or knocking from the front wheels over speed bumps and rough tarmac, particularly from the offside, and feel for vagueness, wandering, or inconsistent self-centring in the steering that would indicate renewed wear in the track rod or drop link bushes. With the car stationary, rock each front wheel at nine and three o'clock to detect any play in the ball joints or wheel bearings, and visually inspect the offside front tyre for uneven inner-edge wear which would point to deteriorated suspension geometry. The brake system should also be examined in detail, as rear brake pads were flagged as wearing thin in 2024, so check for binding rear calipers on the rolling road, spongy pedal feel, and any pulling to one side under braking. Finally, given the repeated tyre edge-wear advisories on different corners across multiple years, a four-wheel alignment check is advisable to rule out a persistent tracking or geometry issue that may be accelerating shoulder wear on the tyres.