The Nissan Primastar, a versatile car known for its practicality and reliability, was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the period covered by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) investigation into motor finance mis-selling practices. This investigation, which spanned from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024, revealed significant issues related to
discretionary commission arrangements that affected numerous customers across various vehicle makes and models.
## How the Nissan Primastar was Typically Financed
The Nissan Primastar was often financed through PCP or HP agreements with typical finance amounts ranging from £15,000 to £30,000. Common lenders for the Nissan Primastar included
Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
MotoNovo Finance, and
Santander Consumer Finance.
In a standard PCP agreement, customers would pay monthly instalments over 36 to 48 months with an optional balloon payment due at the end of the contract. This balloon payment represents the residual value of the car, which is estimated by the finance company when the loan is agreed upon. If customers opt for this final payment, they can take ownership of their Nissan Primastar or return it.
## The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The FCA’s investigation into motor finance mis-selling practices uncovered significant issues related to discretionary commission arrangements between vehicle manufacturers and dealerships. These arrangements allowed dealers to receive additional payments based on the type of finance agreement chosen by customers, often incentivising them to recommend higher-cost options such as PCP over lower-cost alternatives like HP.
The FCA estimates that 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) by these practices during the investigation period (FCA estimate). The total estimated loss to consumers was approximately £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026), with an average mis-selling cost per customer of about £829 (FCA estimate).
## How to Check Your Agreement Look for any evidence that you were pressured into choosing a more expensive financing option than necessary or was not fully explained at the time of purchase.
Key indicators to watch out for include:
- The exact terms and conditions of the finance agreement
- Any references to "discretionary commissions" or similar terminology
- Dates relevant to your loan application (6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024)
if your agreement mentions a term such as DCA (Discretionary Commission Agreement), it could indicate that you were part of the investigation’s scope.
## How to
Complain Directly to Your Lender for Free
If you suspect that your Nissan Primastar finance agreement was mis-sold due to discretionary commission arrangements, you can complain directly to your lender without needing a
claims management company. Common lenders associated with the Nissan Primastar include Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, and Santander Consumer Finance.
When contacting your lender, provide them with detailed information regarding the terms of your finance agreement and any evidence that suggests mis-selling occurred. You do not need a claims management company to handle this process; you can file a complaint yourself for free.
## Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). (2024). Motor Finance Investigation.
- Office for National Statistics Census 2021
- Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, Santander Consumer Finance, Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance
Based on 12,005 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Nissan Primastar has a pass rate of 65.4%. This is below the national average of 79.6%, meaning the Primastar has a higher-than-average failure rate in MOT testing.
The Primastar pass rate is slightly below the overall Nissan average of 77.7%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 141,561 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 65.4%
- MOT failure rate: 34.6%
- Tests analysed: 12,005 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 141,561 miles
- Nissan average pass rate: 77.7%
- National average pass rate: 79.6%
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.