2006 Citroen Xsara MOT pass rate: 59.4% (15,299 tests)

2006-registered Citroen Xsaras passed 59.4% of 15,299 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 5.0 points worse than same-age cars (64.4%). This is one of the strongest Xsara years in the age-adjusted MOT ranking, although the individual car still matters more.

59.4%Pass rate, 2006 cars

95.0Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

15,299Tests analysed

97,724 miMedian mileage at test

59.3% / 59.5%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2006 Xsara getting worse?

Pass rate of 2006-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	59.4% -4.9 vs same-age
2024	59.0% -5.1 vs same-age
2025	59.8% -5.1 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2006 Xsara

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	5,013	23.6%
2	Suspension	3,994	18.8%
3	Body, chassis, structure	3,101	14.6%
4	Brakes	2,978	14.0%
5	Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems	1,774	8.3%
6	Tyres	1,667	7.8%

All Xsara years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2001	2,512	57.2%	-9.3 pts	108,468
2002	4,059	58.6%	-7.0 pts	107,399
2003	5,615	57.3%	-7.7 pts	110,826
2004	8,486	59.2%	-5.1 pts	108,208
2005	9,544	56.8%	-7.7 pts	104,740
2006 (this page)	15,299	59.4%	-5.0 pts	97,724
2007	14,327	58.0%	-7.1 pts	99,034
2008	8,020	58.1%	-7.1 pts	97,787
2009	6,802	62.5%	-3.9 pts	90,306
2010	3,463	62.0%	-5.4 pts	88,609

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Citroen Xsara years to avoid.

Buying a 2006 Xsara? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2006 Citroen Xsara reliable?

2006-registered examples passed 59.4% of their MOT tests (15,299 tests, 2023–2025), -5.0 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 20 years old with a median 97,724 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2006 Xsara?

The median tested example shows 97,724 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.