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Nissan vs Volkswagen Reliability

Nissan leads on our inspections: 62/100 average condition vs 59/100 for Volkswagen, from 403 real pre-purchase inspections. The average car we check scores 61/100.

vs
Head to head
NissanVolkswagen
Cars inspected272131
Average condition62/10059/100
In good shape (60+/100)56%51%
Holds up to (avg dips below decent)~122k mi~120k mi
Repainted or replaced panel78%76%
Structural repair found7%3%
Fault codes recently cleared24%24%

Green = the better number of the pair. Condition reflects the mix of cars that came to us — age, price, model — so treat small gaps as a tie.

How they score
Nissan
Excellent 21% Good 35% Mediocre 27% Poor 17%
Volkswagen
Excellent 17% Good 34% Mediocre 32% Poor 18%
How long do they stay good?
Good cars by mileage
▬ Nissan▬ Volkswagen▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Nissan, 0–20k mi: 98%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars in this band)Nissan, 20–40k mi: 90% in good shape (21 cars)Nissan, 40–60k mi: 80% in good shape (35 cars)Nissan, 60–80k mi: 67% in good shape (43 cars)Nissan, 80–100k mi: 71% in good shape (42 cars)Nissan, 100–120k mi: 36% in good shape (36 cars)Nissan, 120–140k mi: 37% in good shape (35 cars)Nissan, 140–160k mi: 24%, drawn from the nearby bands (18 cars in this band)Nissan, 160–180k mi: 21%, drawn from the nearby bands (16 cars in this band)Nissan, 180–200k mi: 17%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars in this band) Volkswagen, 20–40k mi: 78%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars in this band)Volkswagen, 40–60k mi: 65%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars in this band)Volkswagen, 60–80k mi: 48% in good shape (23 cars)Volkswagen, 80–100k mi: 36% in good shape (36 cars)Volkswagen, 100–120k mi: 42%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars in this band)Volkswagen, 120–140k mi: 48%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars in this band)Volkswagen, 140–160k mi: 37%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars in this band) 40k 80k 120k 160k 200k mileage when we inspected it
Good cars by age
▬ Nissan▬ Volkswagen▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Nissan, 1 years old: 95%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Nissan, 2 years old: 93%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars this age)Nissan, 3 years old: 83%, drawn from the nearby bands (16 cars this age)Nissan, 4 years old: 52% in good shape (23 cars)Nissan, 5 years old: 68%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)Nissan, 6 years old: 71% in good shape (24 cars)Nissan, 7 years old: 66% in good shape (29 cars)Nissan, 8 years old: 46% in good shape (26 cars)Nissan, 9 years old: 46% in good shape (28 cars)Nissan, 10 years old: 52%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Nissan, 11 years old: 45%, drawn from the nearby bands (16 cars this age)Nissan, 12 years old: 35%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age)Nissan, 13 years old: 18% in good shape (11 cars)Nissan, 14 years old: 15%, drawn from the nearby bands (9 cars this age)Nissan, 15 years old: 17%, drawn from the nearby bands (9 cars this age) Volkswagen, 2 years old: 94%, drawn from the nearby bands (5 cars this age)Volkswagen, 3 years old: 95%, drawn from the nearby bands (5 cars this age)Volkswagen, 4 years old: 82%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars this age)Volkswagen, 6 years old: 69%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age)Volkswagen, 7 years old: 57%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars this age)Volkswagen, 8 years old: 54%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Volkswagen, 9 years old: 43%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars this age)Volkswagen, 10 years old: 43%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age)Volkswagen, 11 years old: 44%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age)Volkswagen, 13 years old: 24%, drawn from the nearby bands (7 cars this age)Volkswagen, 14 years old: 52%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars this age) 2y 4y 6y 8y 10y 12y 14y 16y vehicle age when we inspected it

Share in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; a band under 20 cars follows the nearby bands, so a run above the all-cars line stays above it, and a band of 20 or more uses the rate we measured; where a band has too few cars, the line follows the trend between the bands on either side; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). Dashed grey = all cars we check.

Most common faults
Nissan
Oil leaks · Engine
48%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
37%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
31%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
24%
Low coolant / cooling system issues · Engine
17%
Volkswagen
Oil leaks · Engine
76%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
50%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
41%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
27%
Electronic components issues · Engine
18%
Trajectory by generation
Nissan ↘↗ Dipped in the mid-2010s — the newest generation recovered 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 60% in good shape (age-adjusted; 29 cars, raw 55%) 60 2015–17: 48% in good shape (age-adjusted; 49 cars, raw 47%) 48 2018–20: 71% in good shape (age-adjusted; 47 cars, raw 77%) 71 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+
Volkswagen ▲ Newer Volkswagens are holding up better 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 40% in good shape (age-adjusted; 19 cars, raw 37%) 40 2015–17: 56% in good shape (age-adjusted; 25 cars, raw 52%) 56 2018–20: 69% in good shape (age-adjusted; 15 cars, raw 73%) 69 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+

Share in good shape when inspected at the same age (5–10 years, age-adjusted), by model-year generation; dashed = all-brand average. All brands →

FAQ
?
Which is more reliable, Nissan or Volkswagen?
Nissan leads on our inspections: 62/100 average condition vs 59/100 for Volkswagen, from 403 real pre-purchase inspections.
?
What are the most common problems with used Nissans and Volkswagens?
On Nissans we flag oil leaks (48%), tires condition & wear (37%), active error codes (31%). On Volkswagens: oil leaks (76%), active error codes (50%), tires condition & wear (41%).
?
How many Nissan and Volkswagen vehicles have you inspected?
272 Nissans and 131 Volkswagens — 403 real pre-purchase inspections. Updated Oct 27, 2026.
?
How long do Nissans and Volkswagens stay in good shape?
In our data, the average Nissan dips below “decent” around ~122k mi; Volkswagen around ~120k mi. Individual cars vary — get the one you’re buying inspected.
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Based on 403 inspections · updated Oct 27, 2026