2013 Nissan Qashqai 2.0L Petrol · LP62 MXZ

The defining mechanical thread running through this Qashqai's MOT history is a persistent pattern of front axle wear, specifically targeting the brake discs and suspension linkage components. Across four of the eight recorded tests, the nearside and offside front brake discs have attracted advisories for pitting, scoring, or general wear, suggesting the discs have been on a slow decline and were noted again at the most recent pass on 10 December 2025 alongside a front brake pad advisory. More materially, the vehicle failed its test on 8 December 2023 with a Major defect for excessive wear on the offside front suspension arm pin or bush, while the nearside equivalent carried only an advisory at that point. The same nearside and offside front lower suspension arm pins or bushes resurfaced as advisories on 19 December 2022, which means the front suspension bush wear has been a recurring theme across at least two consecutive tests, with one side progressing to a failure-level defect. The latest test on 10 December 2025 shows no recorded suspension advisories, but given the documented history of wear on these components, a prospective buyer should treat the front lower arms as items that warrant close physical inspection rather than assume the issue has been permanently resolved. Mileage accumulation is notably restrained for a 2013 vehicle, with 66,689 recorded miles against a current date of September 2026, equating to roughly 5,130 miles per year over its life. The gap between the February 2019 test and the December 2022 test represents a span of nearly four years with no recorded MOT entries, which on a car of this age is unusual and could indicate a period off the road, an exemption by virtue of SORN status, or simply that the vehicle was not presented for testing during that window. The recorded mileages across tests cannot be verified from the data provided as individual readings are not listed per test, so any conclusions about rapid accumulation or stagnation between specific dates cannot be drawn. Mechanically, low annual mileage on a vehicle of this vintage tends to correlate with prolonged periods of standing, which can affect components such as brake discs through corrosion, suspension bushes through drying and cracking, tyres through developing flat spots or sidewall perishing, and the 12V battery through insufficient regular charging. The recorded advisories on the brake discs, suspension bushes, and tyre sidewalls are consistent with the kind of deterioration commonly seen on low-use vehicles, though the MOT data alone cannot confirm the cause. For a prospective buyer, the priority inspection areas are the front brake discs and pads, and the front lower suspension arms with their pins and bushes. On a test drive, listen for clonks or knocks from the front end when traversing speed bumps, kerbs, or uneven tarmac, particularly over the offside where the Major defect was recorded, and feel for vagueness or knocking through the steering wheel on rough surfaces which would indicate the bushes have worn further since the last test. With the brake pedal, watch for any vibration, shudder, or pulsation under firm application, which would suggest the front discs have lipped or warped beyond the pitted and scored condition noted in 2023 and 2024. Visually, the front discs should be inspected for a pronounced outer lip and a blueing or heat-marking pattern, while the pad material visible through the caliper should be measured for remaining friction material given the thin advisory from December 2025. The front tyres should also be checked closely for inner-edge wear, as both inner tyres were flagged as being worn close to the legal limit and on the edge in the latest test, which can itself point to suspension geometry issues tied to the worn arm pins and bushes. Given the age of the vehicle, it would also be prudent to carry out a thorough inspection of the rear axle and underbody, even though the MOT record contains relatively few rear-end advisories beyond a 2022 note on rear tyre perishing. Look for any surface corrosion on the subframe, rear suspension arms, and brake pipe runs along the chassis, as thirteen years of road salt exposure can compromise brake line integrity and structural components that are not specifically itemised in the MOT history unless they progress to a fail-level defect. The exhaust system should be checked for blowing joints, holed silencer, or failed rubber mountings, and the engine bay examined for any signs of oil leaks from the cam cover, sump, or power steering components. Confirm that the warning lights extinguish promptly on start-up, that the air conditioning and heater blowers function, and that there are no warning messages related to the CVT or manual gearbox depending on the variant, as these are known concerns on the Qashqai of this generation. Finally, a compression test or an OBD diagnostic read of any stored fault codes would be a sensible precaution on a 2013 vehicle that has covered a relatively modest 66,000 miles, allowing any latent issues not yet severe enough to trigger an MOT failure to be identified before purchase.