2009 Citroen Xsara MOT pass rate: 62.5% (6,802 tests)

2009-registered Citroen Xsaras passed 62.5% of 6,802 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 3.9 points worse than same-age cars (66.4%). This is one of the strongest Xsara years in the age-adjusted MOT ranking, although the individual car still matters more.

62.5%Pass rate, 2009 cars

96.1Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

6,802Tests analysed

90,306 miMedian mileage at test

63.4% / 60.7%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2009 Xsara getting worse?

Pass rate of 2009-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	63.6% -3.3 vs same-age
2024	61.7% -4.4 vs same-age
2025	62.0% -4.2 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 2009 Xsara

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	2,111	26.3%
2	Suspension	1,730	21.6%
3	Body, chassis, structure	1,125	14.0%
4	Brakes	702	8.8%
5	Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems	687	8.6%
6	Tyres	622	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	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 (this page)	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 2009 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 2009 Citroen Xsara reliable?

2009-registered examples passed 62.5% of their MOT tests (6,802 tests, 2023–2025), -3.9 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 17 years old with a median 90,306 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2009 Xsara?

The median tested example shows 90,306 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.