Nissan D21 (1988)
1988 Nissan D21
CarHunch analysed 318 real MOT records for the 1988 Nissan D21. This breakdown of actual test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — isn't published anywhere else.
The 1988 Nissan D21 passes its MOT first time just 65.1% of the time, well below the UK average of 80%, which means you're facing a real coin-flip on whether this nearly 40-year-old pickup will sail through or need work. The good news is that dangerous defects have only affected 14.5% of these vehicles, so catastrophic safety issues aren't the norm, though petrol and diesel variants perform almost identically poorly at around 65% pass rates.
These D21s are averaging 121,600 miles, which is reasonable for their age, but they're accumulating an average of 1.67 failures and 5.5 advisories per test—suggesting wear-related problems across multiple systems rather than one critical flaw. Before buying one, budget for repairs and have a pre-purchase inspection focus on the suspension, brakes, and exhaust, since the high advisory count hints these are where age shows most.
What to check before buying a 1988 Nissan D21
Practical pre-purchase checks for this age and model.
- 📋 Check the full MOT history. Look for recurring advisories — slow-building issues like corrosion or brake wear patterns show up years before they become failures. Enter the reg below for a full AI analysis.
- 🔍 Inspect for corrosion in person. Brake pipes, sills, subframes, and chassis legs. Surface rust is normal at this age; structural rust is a serious problem that's expensive to fix and can fail an MOT.
- 🛞 Check tyres and brakes. The most common advisory items at this age. Budget for replacement if they're near the limit — factor this into your offer price.
- 📄 Run an HPI check. The MOT history won't show outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, or stolen status — an HPI check will.
Before you buy a Nissan D21
MOT history is one piece of the puzzle. These checks can reveal what CarHunch can't.
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Pass Rate by Fuel Type
| Fuel type | Vehicles | Pass rate | Avg failures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel (50%) | 158 | 64.2% | 1.8 |
| Petrol (50%) | 158 | 65.8% | 1.56 |
| LPG (1%) | 2 | 83.3% | 0.5 |
Mileage Distribution
Most 1988 Nissan D21 vehicles sit in the blue band. If the car you're looking at is outside it, it's either unusually low or high mileage for its age.
Half of all 1988 Nissan D21 vehicles fall between 102,892 and 162,603 miles.
1988 Nissan D21 — Still on the Road
10 vehicles still getting MOTs in 2025 — 50% of the peak remain.
Based on vehicles from this manufacture year that had at least one MOT test in each calendar year. Data from 2014–2025.
MOT History Averages
Most Common MOT Issues — 1988 Nissan D21
Based on actual MOT test records for this model. Percentage shows how often each item appears across all vehicles in this cohort.
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17.2%
Offside Front Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings
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12.8%
Offside Rear fog lamp not working
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12.6%
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements
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12.6%
Nearside Front Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings
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12%
Fuel pipe/s corroded
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11.3%
Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit
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10.3%
Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded
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9.7%
Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit
Data covers a 3-year window centred on 1988. Counts include advisories and failures.
Found a specific Nissan D21?
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