Nissan

Which year Nissan 200 Sx is most reliable?

Based on 12,829 vehicles (1989–2000) and millions of DVLA MOT records.

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Not just "newer is more reliable"
These rankings compare each year at the same mileage point — a 2003 200 Sx at 80,000 miles is judged against a 2014 200 Sx at 80,000 miles, not its full lifetime average. Verdicts are also relative to this model's own average, not a universal scale. That's the difference between "old cars wear out" and "this year is genuinely more or less reliable."
Years to look for
1996–2000
Above-average pass rate — these years consistently do better than other 200 Sxes
Below model average
1989–1993
Lower pass rate than other 200 Sxes — worth checking the MOT history before buying
See common failures for 1989 →
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Dataset
12,829
vehicles · 1989–2000 · millions of MOT records
CarHunch sweet spot — 1994–1997
These years hit the reliability-to-value sweet spot: a 52.2–69.5% pass rate, well above this model's median, but old enough to have depreciated significantly from peak price. If budget matters alongside reliability, start your search here.

Pass rate by year

Year Pass rate Vehicles
2000
76.8%
598 Recommended
1999
75.2%
996 Recommended
1998
72.7%
787 Recommended
1997
69.5%
786 Recommended
1996
59.6%
869 Recommended
1995
52.2%
930
1994
54.4%
824
1993
47.1%
849 Below avg
1992
43.3%
1,229 Below avg
1991
42.4%
1,266 Below avg
1990
21.7%
2,019 Below avg
1989
17.7%
1,676 Below avg

Click any year to see full MOT history, common faults and comparisons for those cars. Verdicts are relative to this model's own average — a good Land Rover year is judged differently from a good Toyota year.

How each year holds up at higher mileage

Each line is a different model year. The mileage ranges are divided into 5 equal groups based on how this model is actually driven in the real world — so you're comparing like-for-like, not arbitrary round numbers.

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At high mileage (127k–+), the 2001 models maintain a 76% pass rate — 10 points higher than 1989 models at the same mileage.

Only years with enough data across at least 3 mileage ranges are shown. Newer years appear in blue; older years in amber.

How is this measured?

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What "pass rate" means

The percentage of all MOT tests that resulted in a pass — counted across a car's whole life, not just its first test. Higher means fewer failures over time.

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Mileage groups built from real data

We split this model's real-world mileage history into 5 equal groups — so each slice contains the same number of cars, not an arbitrary round number like "0–30,000 miles."

Does age still matter?

Yes. A low-mileage 20-year-old car has still had 20 years of weather, perishing rubber, and ageing electrics. Comparing at the same mileage narrows the gap between old and new — but doesn't erase it entirely.

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Why this beats surveys

Our figures come from the DVLA's national MOT database — over 50 million real test results from accredited garages, with no opinions involved. Most reliability guides are based on owner surveys with a few hundred responses per model.

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