Should I check the MOT history before buying a 2012 Nissan Serena?

Yes. Look for recurring advisories — slow-building issues like corrosion or brake wear patterns show up years before they become failures. A full MOT history analysis will highlight patterns that a single test result won't reveal.

What corrosion should I look for when inspecting a 2012 Nissan Serena?

Check brake pipes, sills, subframes, and chassis legs. Surface rust is normal at this age; structural rust is a serious problem that is expensive to fix and can fail an MOT.

How are tyres and brakes typically on a 2012 Nissan Serena?

Tyres and brakes are the most common advisory items on vehicles of this age. Budget for replacement if they are near the limit, and factor this into your offer price.

Is the 2012 Nissan Serena reliable?

Based on MOT data from 298 vehicles, the 2012 Nissan Serena has a first-time MOT pass rate of 86.5%, indicating generally reliable for its class. Always check the full MOT history of any specific vehicle before buying.

What are common problems with the 2012 Nissan Serena?

The most frequently recorded MOT issues on the 2012 Nissan Serena are: Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (29.5% of vehicles), Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (23.5% of vehicles), Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (23.2% of vehicles). These figures are based on actual MOT test records — search a specific registration on CarHunch to see its individual history.

Do I need an HPI check when buying a 2012 Nissan Serena?

Yes. The MOT history will not show outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, or stolen status. An HPI check covers these areas and should be part of any used car purchase.

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Nissan Serena (2012)

298 real MOT outcomes analysed • 86.5% first-time pass rate

2012 Nissan Serena

CarHunch analysed 298 real MOT records for the 2012 Nissan Serena. Real test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — from verified DVLA records. Updated as new MOTs are recorded.
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AI Analysis Reliability Overview Common Issues Check a Specific Reg Buyer's Checklist Pass Rate by Fuel Mileage Distribution Still on the Road MOT Averages Colour Breakdown Compare Models

The 2012 Nissan Serena passes its MOT on the first attempt 86.5% of the time, which is a solid 6.5 percentage points above the UK average of 80%. Dangerous defects have affected 16.8% of these vehicles historically, which is a modest concern but not alarming—worth checking the inspection history of any specific car you're considering.

At just over 90,000 miles on average, these Serenas show typical mileage for their age, suggesting normal use rather than high-mileage wear. The average car fails on less than one item per test (0.67 failures) but racks up 3.5 advisories, pointing to minor wear rather than serious mechanical problems—so budget for gradual maintenance rather than major repairs, and always ask the seller for full service records when viewing.

We have limited data for the 2012 Nissan Serena — treat the figures below as indicative rather than definitive.

⚠️ Around 1 in 8 of these vehicles have had a dangerous MOT failure at some point — usually tyres or brakes, and often a one-off issue rather than a persistent problem. The group stats won't tell you which one you're looking at.

First-time pass

86.5%

UK average ~80%

Around average

Dangerous (ever)

16.8%

At least once in MOT history

Check this vehicle

Avg failures / car

0.67

Over 3.7 tests on record

Moderate

Typical mileage

85k

Middle half: 70k–109k

For context

These stats describe 298 vehicles as a group. The specific vehicle you're looking at could be the one good example or the one outlier. Run its registration to find out.

Average reliability — agree?

What tends to go wrong

Across 298 vehicles — figures show how many had each issue flagged at least once in their MOT history.

Brake wear 29.5%

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin · Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin · Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened

Ask the seller when brakes were last serviced. If they don't know, factor in the cost.

Tyre wear 23.5%

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge · Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge · Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge · …

Budget for a full set — on a vehicle this age, tyres are expected consumables. An inspection will confirm how much is left.

Suspension & steering 11%

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt · Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt · Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement · …

Harder to spot without a ramp — this is a good reason to book a pre-purchase inspection.

Lighting 9.8%

Offside Front Position lamp not working · Nearside Front Position lamp not working

Usually cheap to fix. Worth confirming all lights work before collecting.

Other issues 9.2%

Oil leak, but not excessive

Data covers a 3-year window centred on 2012.

See this vehicle's full MOT history & AI hunches

Spot recurring advisories, hidden issues, and how it compares to 298 Nissan Serena cars.

Before you buy a 2012 Nissan Serena

Based on MOT data from 298 vehicles — here's what to check.

📋 Check the full MOT history. 16.8% of these vehicles have had a dangerous defect recorded - recurring advisories often signal problems years before they become failures.
Search the reg on CarHunch for the full MOT history, reliability stats and a free AI-powered analysis of that exact vehicle.
🔍 Brake pipes, sills and subframes are the key areas on a vehicle this age — structural rust is hard to spot without getting underneath. A mechanic will check all of this before you commit, and give you a concrete basis to negotiate on price. Inspection →
📄 Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and clocking won't appear in the MOT records — a dedicated history check covers all of this. Our link gets you 20% off automatically. History Get 20% off via CarHunch

Pass Rate by Fuel Type

Fuel type	Vehicles	Pass rate	Avg failures
Petrol (61%)	181	86.3%	0.63
Hybrid Electric (Clean) (38%)	112	87%	0.74

Colour Breakdown

Based on 20,316 Nissan Serena vehicles registered in the UK — across all years. From DVLA registration records.

Blue 25.2%

5,121

Red 22.6%

4,585

Green 18.9%

3,841

White 13.2%

2,685

Grey 7.1%

1,452

Black 5%

1,013

Silver 4.2%

860

Orange 1.2%

252

Purple 1.2%

248

Maroon 0.5%

Bronze 0.4%

Brown 0.4%

Mileage Distribution

Most 2012 Nissan Serena vehicles sit in the blue band. If the vehicle you're looking at is outside it, it's either unusually low or high mileage for its age.

85,311

typical

70,243

low mileage

108,587

high mileage

Half of all 2012 Nissan Serena vehicles fall between 70,243 and 108,587 miles.

Is the mileage you're seeing normal?

✓ Under 70,243 miles — lower than most. Could be great, or could be a vehicle that rarely moved. Check test frequency and mileage progression in the MOT history.

✓ 70,243–108,587 miles — normal for age. This is where most 2012 Nissan Serenas sit.

⚠ Over 146,592 miles — higher than typical. Not necessarily a problem, but check service history and look out for advisory build-up on tyres and brakes.

2012 Nissan Serena — Still on the Road

Almost all 2012 Nissan Serenas are still on the road.

Strong survival — 259 vehicles still getting MOTs in 2025, 100% of the peak.

Based on vehicles from this manufacture year that had at least one MOT test in each calendar year. Data from 2019–2025.
* The 2020 dip reflects the government's COVID-19 MOT exemption, which allowed certificates to be extended by six months — fewer tests were conducted that year.

MOT History Averages

3.7

Avg MOT tests per vehicle

0.67

Avg failures per vehicle

3.5

Avg advisories per vehicle

Other model years — Nissan Serena: All Serena years → Which year to buy? →

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Compare with another model

See how the 2012 Nissan Serena stacks up against a rival.

Average reliability — agree?