UK vehicle statistics / Nissan

How many Nissan Primastar cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 19,177 licensed and 3,233 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Nissan Primastar generic-model group.

Looking at a Primastar?

Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.

Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.

Wondering whether one particular Primastar is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the Primastar disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 19,330 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 19,177 in 2026 Q1, down 1%. That is up 47% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 3,233 are declared SORN — 1 in 7 of the 22,410 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.

Primastar MOT pass rate

In 2024, 46.6% of 8,266 Nissan Primastar MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 45.5% of cars aged 10–14 years passed first time, against 47.1% aged 15–30 years.

  • Brake Performance — 15.3% of tests. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Steering Linkage Components — 12.9% of tests. Worn track rod ends or joints. Affects steering and tyre wear, and is a normal age-related repair.
  • Suspension Arms — 12% of tests. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Position Lamps — 9.7% of tests. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the Nissan Primastar MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Brake Performance — 15.3% of tests in 2024. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Steering Linkage Components — 12.9% of tests in 2024. Worn track rod ends or joints. Affects steering and tyre wear, and is a normal age-related repair.
  • Suspension Arms — 12% of tests in 2024. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Position Lamps — 9.7% of tests in 2024. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.
  • Check the actual Primastar — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Quarterly licensed and SORN counts

Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q119,1773,233
2025 Q417,7813,143
2025 Q317,1142,949
2025 Q216,6942,907
2025 Q116,3612,914
2024 Q415,8482,813
2024 Q315,7362,681
2024 Q215,1902,655
2024 Q114,6292,628
2023 Q414,3702,585
2023 Q314,1632,414
2023 Q213,5562,345
2023 Q113,2602,360
2022 Q412,6992,344
2022 Q312,5402,209
2022 Q212,1592,150
2022 Q112,1412,189
2021 Q412,3452,206
2021 Q312,7192,087
2021 Q212,9772,047
2021 Q113,0852,071
2020 Q413,3452,050
2020 Q313,6381,944
2020 Q213,8121,912
2020 Q113,9381,996
2019 Q414,3451,822
2019 Q314,7871,641
2019 Q215,0761,583
2019 Q115,2721,548
2018 Q415,5291,544
2018 Q315,8581,367
2018 Q216,1701,317
2018 Q116,3751,275
2017 Q416,6371,208
2017 Q317,0361,094
2017 Q217,2441,061
2017 Q117,438996
2016 Q417,616967
2016 Q317,739871
2016 Q217,961778
2016 Q118,166771
2015 Q418,393685
2015 Q318,521589
2015 Q218,715543
2015 Q118,853529
2014 Q419,002470
2014 Q319,330399

Other Nissan models

See how many of every Nissan model are left

Common questions

How many Nissan Primastar cars are left in the UK?

19,177 were licensed and 3,233 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Nissan Primastar cars are SORN?

3,233 are declared SORN — 1 in 7 of the 22,410 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Primastar disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 19,330 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 19,177 in 2026 Q1, down 1%. That is up 47% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 3,233 are declared SORN — 1 in 7 of the 22,410 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the Nissan Primastar MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 46.6% of 8,266 Nissan Primastar MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average.

What does the Primastar fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are brake performance (15.3% of tests), steering linkage components (12.9% of tests), suspension arms (12% of tests).

Does this say whether one Primastar is a good buy?

No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.

Source and limitations

Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.

Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.