MOT pass rates / Citroen
Citroen MOT pass rates and common failures
Citroen cars passed 62.3% of their MOTs first time in 2024, across 865,692 class-4 initial tests and 34 model groups. That is below the 71.2% UK average, and ranks Citroen 52nd of 59 makes in the dataset.
Pass rates track age more strongly than badge: an older Citroen is compared here against older cars of every other make, so read the age table below before drawing conclusions about the brand.
Checking a Citroen?
Make-level pass rates cannot reveal the condition or provenance of one car.
Check its registration free for the actual MOT, tax and mileage record. Before buying, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.
What Citroen cars fail on
The items most often behind a first-test failure across Citroen model groups, as a share of Citroen tests. DVSA publishes each model group's six most common categories, so this ranks the biggest published causes rather than every possible one.
- Transmission — 5% of Citroen tests. A fault with a driveshaft, gaiter or transmission component. Costs vary widely.
- Headlamp Aim — 4.8% of Citroen tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- Position Lamps — 4.3% of Citroen tests. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.
- Stop Lamp — 3% of Citroen tests. A brake light out. Usually a bulb.
- Registration Plate Lamp(s) — 2% of Citroen tests. The light over the number plate is out. A bulb.
- Suspension Arms — 2% of Citroen tests. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
- Headlamps — 1.8% of Citroen tests. A headlight fault, from a blown bulb to a failed unit.
- Brake Performance — 1.3% of Citroen tests. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
Citroen MOT pass rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Initial pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3–5 years | 110,559 | 80.9% |
| 6–9 years | 267,269 | 68.6% |
| 10–14 years | 322,810 | 56.2% |
| 15–30 years | 164,572 | 51.3% |
Citroen models by MOT pass rate
| Model | Tests | Initial pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| C3 | 165,464 | 63.2% |
| Berlingo | 155,121 | 57.3% |
| C1 | 132,666 | 69.1% |
| C4 | 125,725 | 58.6% |
| DS3 | 68,695 | 52.1% |
| Dispatch | 30,663 | 57.1% |
| C3 Aircross | 23,389 | 84% |
| Xsara | 21,812 | 50% |
| C4 Cactus | 19,680 | 73.3% |
| C5 | 18,268 | 75% |
| Relay | 12,257 | 63.1% |
| Nemo | 12,179 | 57.8% |
| C2 | 10,267 | 52.9% |
| DS4 | 9,790 | 55.3% |
| C4 Grand Picasso | 9,636 | 67.8% |
| C3 Picasso | 6,176 | 69.4% |
| C4 Picasso | 5,651 | 73.5% |
| DS5 | 4,107 | 60.8% |
| Grand C4 Picasso | 4,003 | 48.3% |
| Dispatch 1000 En-prise Bhdi SS | 3,149 | 70.2% |
| Saxo | 2,957 | 54.6% |
| Berlingo Multispace | 2,722 | 72.3% |
| C1 Shine | 2,717 | 92.1% |
| Berlingo 1000 En-prise Bluehdi | 2,383 | 68.4% |
| C3 Shine Puretech S/S | 2,200 | 89.5% |
| Spacetourer | 2,115 | 78% |
| C3 Flair + Puretech S/S | 2,088 | 91.1% |
| C3 Shine + Puretech S/S | 2,021 | 90.5% |
| Berlingo 650 En-prise PRO Bhdi | 1,727 | 72% |
| C-crosser | 1,424 | 57.5% |
| Dispatch 1200 En-prise Bhdi SS | 1,308 | 70.8% |
| C4 Shine Puretech S/S | 1,238 | 80.2% |
| C3 Aircross Shine + P-tech S/S | 1,047 | 90.3% |
| C3 Aircross Shine Puretech S/S | 1,047 | 90.2% |
Methodology and limitations
MOT outcomes describe testable items at the time of inspection. They are not a measure of overall mechanical reliability.
Scope: Class 4 normal initial MOT tests completed in 2024. Models require at least 1,000 qualifying tests. Duplicate source rows are removed using official DVSA test IDs.
Source: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency anonymised MOT tests and results, 2024, published 2025-05-23 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Check the actual car
Enter the registration for that Citroen's own free MOT, tax and mileage record. Before money changes hands, the £9.99 full history check adds outstanding finance, insurance write-off and stolen checks.