Citroen C3 MOT pass rate: 70.4% (171,361 tests, 2025)

The Citroen C3 passed 70.4% of its 171,361 MOT tests in 2025 — 7.1 points below the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 12 years old with 63,378 miles on the clock.
70.4%Pass rate (2025)
171,361MOT tests analysed
63,378 miMedian mileage at test
12 yrsMedian age at test

How the C3 compares

Citroen C3

70.4%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Citroen average (all models)

71.1%

What fails most on the Citroen C3

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the C3:

#SystemDefects recordedShare
1Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment37,06126.5%
2Suspension29,22120.9%
3Brakes17,27512.4%
4Body, chassis, structure15,83111.3%
5Tyres14,85210.6%
6Noise, emissions and leaks10,5747.6%

Pre-MOT checklist for C3 owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

  • Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
  • Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
  • Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
  • Look underneath for corrosion around sills and subframes, especially on older cars
  • Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
Check the engine before the tester does

A stored fault code with the engine light on is an automatic Major defect. Scan and clear resolved faults before booking.

C3 pass rate by registration year

Lower age-adjusted outliers to inspect carefully: 2002, 2003, 2010. Strongest age-adjusted years: 2020, 2021. Full ranking and method: Citroen C3 years to avoid.

Registration yearTestsPass rateVs same-ageMedian mileage
2002 2,849 57.8% -7.8 pts 86,618
2003 7,978 57.3% -7.7 pts 81,600
2004 9,942 59.2% -5.1 pts 78,801
2005 12,288 59.3% -5.2 pts 80,137
2006 14,179 61.1% -3.3 pts 77,116
2007 15,930 60.6% -4.5 pts 77,893
2008 14,616 59.6% -5.5 pts 76,887
2009 28,077 60.1% -6.3 pts 86,124
2010 54,187 60.3% -7.1 pts 87,558
2011 45,554 62.6% -6.6 pts 82,008
2012 44,206 65.7% -5.6 pts 73,336
2013 40,006 68.8% -4.5 pts 67,137
2014 41,070 71.9% -4.0 pts 57,697
2015 36,171 75.4% -3.4 pts 52,174
2016 26,211 77.4% -3.9 pts 44,663
2017 46,131 81.0% -3.0 pts 44,690
2018 46,120 85.0% -1.4 pts 38,422
2019 39,579 88.7% +0.3 pts 31,130
2020 14,384 91.7% +1.8 pts 24,704
2021 1,659 93.7% +3.3 pts 24,054

Check a specific C3 before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other Citroen models

Berlingo68.1% pass rate · 163,538 tests C174.9% pass rate · 157,477 tests C465.6% pass rate · 116,599 tests DS360.5% pass rate · 68,014 tests Dispatch66.9% pass rate · 37,135 tests C3 Aircross84.8% pass rate · 24,562 tests C4 Cactus77.1% pass rate · 21,042 tests Xsara59.3% pass rate · 19,372 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a Citroen C3?

In 2025, 70.4% of 171,361 first MOT tests on the Citroen C3 were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the C3 fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (26.5% of its recorded defects), followed by suspension.

Is the Citroen C3 reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 70.4% it performs below the national average at a median age of 12 years and 63,378 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.