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

Name: Citroen C3 MOT statistics 2025
Creator: OBDCode UK
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Last updated 24 August 2026 · OBDCode UK editorial

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:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	37,061	26.5%
2	Suspension	29,221	20.9%
3	Brakes	17,275	12.4%
4	Body, chassis, structure	15,831	11.3%
5	Tyres	14,852	10.6%
6	Noise, emissions and leaks	10,574	7.6%

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

Engine management light on?

An illuminated engine management light is a Major MOT defect. Read the code, repair the cause, then confirm the light stays off — clearing a code alone is not a repair.

Understand the engine management light and MOT rules →

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

Same-vehicle follow-up

The defect groups above are a single-year count. The prognosis registry follows the same vehicle_id into the next MOT year. The extracts do not record the repair, a turbo part number, or a gearbox type.

Suspension: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Brakes: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Body, chassis, structure: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Tyres: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Noise, emissions and leaks: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold

On this model, these certificate lines have a published follow-up (cohort at least 200 cars):

Track rod end ball joint has slight play — 2,815 cars · 17.3% failed the same item the next year
Ball joint has slight play — 2,810 cars · 12.5% failed the same item the next year
Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive — 818 cars · 11.1% failed the same item the next year
Integral vehicle structure condition is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced — 382 cars · 6.3% failed the same item the next year
Exhaust system has a minor leak of exhaust gases — 2,819 cars · 6.2% failed the same item the next year

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.

Before you agree to the work

A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.

Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.

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.