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Nissan Qashqai vs Toyota RAV4: which is the better used buy?

On DVSA MOT records the Toyota RAV4 does better at its MOT: measured against cars of the same age, it comes out 10.1 percentage points ahead of the Nissan Qashqai on first-time MOT passes. That comparison covers 76,749 real tests across every generation on the road, not a survey. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure. The MOT checks safety and emissions items, not the engine, clutch or gearbox, so this is one measure of how each car holds up rather than a full reliability verdict; the common faults below cover the rest.

MOT first-time pass rate

Counted from DVSA’s anonymised MOT test records. “vs age-matched” compares each model against what the national fleet scores at the same age — the only fair better-or-worse number, because an older fleet fails more whatever its build quality.

Nissan Qashqai
Pass rate73.5%
Age-matched national78.6%
Difference-5.2
Tests62,848
Toyota RAV4
Pass rate82.6%
Age-matched national77.7%
Difference+4.9
Tests13,901

These figures count every generation still on the road, not only the one described below: mostly Nissan Qashqais registered 2007–2022 and Toyota RAV4s registered 2002–2022.

Source: DVSA MOT Anonymised Data 2025 (Open Government Licence v3.0). National first-time pass rate 77.3%. Class 4 tests in Great Britain, test type NT (a normal annual test), retests excluded. A pass, or a pass with rectification at the station, counts as a first-time pass; DVSA's own initial-test measure counts a rectified pass as a failure and so reports a lower figure. Testing in Northern Ireland is run separately by the DVA under its own rules. The difference is worked out before rounding, so it can be 0.1 away from the two rounded figures beside it.

Nissan Qashqai

J11 2014–2021, J12 2021+ · compact crossover SUV

The Nissan Qashqai J11 (2014–2021) suffers from 1.5 dCi DPF and injector issues pre-2018, plus CVT (X-Tronic) judder on the 1.6 petrol. The J12 (2021+) has fewer owner-reported faults, mainly minor e-Power inverter and rear-wiper concerns, but DVSA lists J12 recalls too (R/2025/424, a fuel pipe that can wear and leak, 101,557 vehicles built 4 May 2021 to 17 October 2024). Best-buy: J12 2022+. Worst: J11 1.5 dCi pre-2018.

What goes wrong

  • Safety recall R/2020/220recall
    Possible reduced retention force of the rear door child lock switch
    299,631 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 28 September 2015 and 3 March 2018
    Large recall — 299,631 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Safety recall R/2025/424recall
    Qashqai (J12) Fuel Pipe
    101,557 vehicles of this model (DVSA’s figures added up) · built between 4 May 2021 and 17 October 2024
    Large recall — 101,557 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • 1.5 dCi DPF + injectors (J11)major
    Engine warning light; limp mode; DPF full message
    J11 1.5 dCi 2014–2018 · Typical issue from 50,000 miles · DPF clean £400–£700; injector set £1,400+; combined often £2,000+
    Check: Avoid 1.5 dCi if possible. Diagnostic scan mandatory. Service history showing repeat DPF events is a red flag.
  • CVT (X-Tronic) judder (J11 1.6 petrol)major
    Shudder under acceleration; rubber-band feel; warning at high speed
    J11 1.6 DIG-T petrol · 50,000+ miles · CVT replacement £2,500–£4,000
    Check: Long test drive including motorway acceleration. Any judder = walk away.
Typical asking price:
£4,800–£11,985, median £7,980 (middle 80% and median, cars on Autoza on 29 October 2026)
Fuel economy:
J12 e-Power: 44–51 mpg. J11 1.5 dCi: 47–57 mpg when running well.
Vehicle tax:
£200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025. A car registered from April 2017 with a list price over £40,000 when new adds the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 (£640 in all). Cars registered 2001–2017 pay a CO2 band, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates).
Best years:
2022, 2023, 2024
Years to avoid:
2014–2017 (1.5 dCi)
Used Nissan Qashqais for saleFull Qashqai fault guideUsed Nissans

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Toyota RAV4

XA50, 2019–2024 (Hybrid) · mid-size hybrid family SUV

The XA50 Toyota RAV4 (2019–2024), sold in the UK only as a hybrid or plug-in hybrid, has a strong reliability record. Owners report occasional false pre-collision warnings and rear vent rattles on early cars, and some 2019 builds are covered by brake-booster and suspension-arm safety recalls. Best-buy years: 2021–2023. Worst: no single year stands out on DVSA MOT results.

What goes wrong

  • Safety recall R/2023/279recall
    On affected vehicles there is a possibility that the DCM may not complete the shutdown process within a specific period of time when the ignition is turned off causing the DCM to not restart at the next ignition cycle and making the e-Call function unavailable.
    27,327 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 17 January 2023 and 18 July 2023
    Large recall — 27,327 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Safety recall R/2021/315recall
    The emergency calling system (ECALL) may not function when required
    26,575 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 14 July 2020 and 15 March 2021
    Large recall — 26,575 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Pre-collision system false alerts / phantom brakingmoderate
    Sudden brief braking on open motorway or dual carriageway with no obstacle; "Pre-Collision Alert" warning appearing on clear roads; forward collision warning sounding without cause
    2019–2020 (pre-software update) · Free under Toyota software update — dealer apply at next service
    Check: Ask the dealer whether the pre-collision system software has been updated. A quick 15-minute motorway stint during the test drive is the most direct check.
  • Hybrid battery — very long-term degradationminor
    Slightly reduced mpg; less frequent EV-mode trips; battery gauge dropping faster in cold weather
    All hybrids; typically year 8–10+ in UK conditions · 125,000+ miles (UK used-car context: rarely seen this high yet) · £3,000–£6,500 for battery replacement if it is out of warranty
    Check: Toyota's hybrid battery is covered by its Service Activated Warranty (3 years or 60,000 miles as standard on cars sold new from 1 June 2021, extendable to 10 years or 100,000 miles; earlier cars were sold with 5 years or 100,000 miles), which is renewed by each qualifying service at an authorised Toyota dealer — it is conditional, not automatic. Ask for the service record, and ask a Toyota dealer whether a service would bring the car back into cover.
Typical asking price:
not given as a fixed figure — the model guide shows the median and middle 80% of asking prices for the cars advertised on Autoza that day, when at least 10 qualify
Fuel economy:
48–50 mpg official WLTP combined for the 2.5 Hybrid (Toyota UK specification sheet).
Vehicle tax:
£200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025 (2026/27 rates). A car registered from April 2017 that listed at over £40,000 new (options included) also pays the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 — it is the price when new that counts, not what you pay for it used.
Best years:
2021, 2022, 2023
Used Toyota RAV4s for saleFull RAV4 fault guideUsed Toyotas

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Which one suits you

Nissan Qashqai

Good for: Family buyers wanting practical compact SUV. Strong UK-spec features (heated seats, large boot).

Less good for: Buyers tempted by sub-£11k J11 1.5 dCi without service history — repair bills can quickly exceed purchase price.

Toyota RAV4

Good for: Families wanting a reliable, low-running-cost SUV. Commuters doing mixed town/motorway miles who want the hybrid fuel savings without the hassle of plug-in charging. Buyers who prioritise long-term reliability over prestige badge.

Less good for: Buyers wanting a sporty drive — the RAV4 Hybrid prioritises economy over driver engagement. Off-road purists (the RAV4 has on-demand AWD via a rear electric motor, not a locking diff). Anyone wanting a third-row seat — the RAV4 is strictly 5-seat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is more reliable, the Nissan Qashqai or the Toyota RAV4?
On the MOT measure, the Toyota RAV4: measured against cars of the same age, it comes out 10.1 percentage points ahead of the Nissan Qashqai on first-time MOT passes, across 76,749 DVSA-recorded tests covering every generation on the road. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure. The MOT checks safety and emissions items, not the engine, clutch or gearbox, so this is one measure of how each car holds up rather than a full reliability verdict.
How do the MOT pass rates of the Nissan Qashqai and the Toyota RAV4 compare?
73.5% of Nissan Qashqais pass their MOT first time (62,848 tests in DVSA's records) and 82.6% of Toyota RAV4s pass their MOT first time (13,901 tests). The national first-time rate is 77.3%, but cars of the Nissan Qashqai's age average 78.6% and cars of the Toyota RAV4's age 77.7% — so the Nissan Qashqai runs 5.2 points worse than its age group and the Toyota RAV4 runs 4.9 points better than its own. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.
Which years of the Nissan Qashqai and Toyota RAV4 should I avoid?
Nissan Qashqai: J11 1.5 dCi pre-2018 had cascading DPF and injector issues; ownership in the UK often stacked £2,000+ in repairs by 60,000 miles. Toyota RAV4: The 2019 launch year carries the generation's DVSA safety recalls: R/2019/248 (the brake booster pump may stop working; built 26 April to 3 June 2019), R/2020/142 (the front lower suspension arms may have cracks; built 25 September to 25 October 2019) and R/2019/122 (the emergency calling system may not be enabled; early builds to April 2019). Owners of early cars also report phantom braking from the pre-collision system before its software update. A 2019 car should have evidence that any recall covering it was done. The DVSA MOT table on this page rates 2019 registrations above all cars registered that year, so it is not named as a year to avoid. Judge a RAV4 by its registration, service history and the checks below rather than by year.
Is the Nissan Qashqai or the Toyota RAV4 cheaper to run?
On fuel it depends on the engine. Nissan Qashqai: J12 e-Power: 44–51 mpg. J11 1.5 dCi: 47–57 mpg when running well. Toyota RAV4: 48–50 mpg official WLTP combined for the 2.5 Hybrid (Toyota UK specification sheet). WLTP figures are official lab results; your own driving can return a different figure. For cars registered from April 2017, vehicle tax works the same way for both: the £200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included, plus the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 on a car that listed at over £40,000 new — the price when new, not what you pay for it used. Any Nissan Qashqai or Toyota RAV4 registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 pays a CO2 band instead, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates). Insurance differs mainly by driver and postcode rather than by model, so treat any model-level insurance figure with caution.

MOT figures are counted from DVSA records and are the only measured statistic here. Prices, economy and tax bands are indicative and vary by specification, condition and where the car has lived. Last reviewed: 2026-10-06 / 2026-10-06.