2001 Renault Clio MOT pass rate: 60.7% (5,864 tests)

2001-registered Renault Clios passed 60.7% of 5,864 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 5.8 points worse than same-age cars (66.6%). This is one of the strongest Clio years in the age-adjusted MOT ranking, although the individual car still matters more.
60.7%Pass rate, 2001 cars
94.2Age-adjusted index (100 = average)
5,864Tests analysed
77,163 miMedian mileage at test
60.8% / 58.7%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2001 Clio getting worse?

Pass rate of 2001-registered cars across recent test years:

Test yearPass rate
202360.0%
-6.0 vs same-age
202460.3%
-6.1 vs same-age
202562.5%
-5.3 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 2001 Clio

#SystemDefects recordedShare
1Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment2,03825.4%
2Suspension1,42317.7%
3Brakes1,38317.2%
4Body, chassis, structure6988.7%
5Visibility6528.1%
6Tyres5426.7%

All Clio years compared

Registration yearTestsPass rateVs same-ageMedian mileage
2001 (this page) 5,864 60.7% -5.8 pts 77,163
2002 10,028 60.6% -5.0 pts 82,441
2003 15,162 57.5% -7.5 pts 83,436
2004 22,641 56.5% -7.8 pts 87,304
2005 27,540 55.9% -8.5 pts 87,445
2006 45,027 55.4% -9.0 pts 90,069
2007 59,345 55.3% -9.8 pts 89,922
2008 47,908 55.8% -9.3 pts 90,108
2009 49,545 56.2% -10.2 pts 84,991
2010 70,076 56.3% -11.0 pts 83,044
2011 52,146 55.5% -13.7 pts 77,816
2012 43,689 55.9% -15.3 pts 73,999
2013 59,921 60.8% -12.5 pts 73,994
2014 77,961 59.8% -16.0 pts 68,588
2015 72,021 62.9% -15.8 pts 60,832
2016 66,342 65.4% -16.0 pts 52,220
2017 57,261 72.2% -11.9 pts 45,226
2018 58,367 78.2% -8.2 pts 38,158
2019 44,618 81.1% -7.3 pts 32,362

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Renault Clio years to avoid.

Buying a 2001 Clio? Two checks first

FAQs

Is a 2001 Renault Clio reliable?

2001-registered examples passed 60.7% of their MOT tests (5,864 tests, 2023–2025), -5.8 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 25 years old with a median 77,163 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2001 Clio?

The median tested example shows 77,163 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.