Renault Clio years to avoid — 885,462 MOT tests ranked

Inspect most carefully: 2014, 2015, 2016. Strongest in the data: 2001 or 2002. The ranking uses 885,462 MOT tests across 19 registration years (2023–2025) and compares each year with all UK cars of the same age. Fuel-type signal: diesels show an average 3.0-point pass-rate deficit on this model. That may reflect mileage and use as well as the car itself, so inspect DPF and emissions history rather than treating fuel type as a verdict.

Every Clio year, ranked

The age-adjusted MOT index sets 100 as the pass rate of all UK cars registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Higher is better. This prevents an old car being labelled a “bad year” simply because it is old.

RankYearIndexVs same-agePass rateTests
1 2002 Strong 95.0 -5.0 pts 60.6% 10,028
2 2001 Strong 94.2 -5.8 pts 60.7% 5,864
3 2019 92.7 -7.3 pts 81.1% 44,618
4 2003 92.5 -7.5 pts 57.5% 15,162
5 2004 92.2 -7.8 pts 56.5% 22,641
6 2018 91.8 -8.2 pts 78.2% 58,367
7 2005 91.5 -8.5 pts 55.9% 27,540
8 2006 91.0 -9.0 pts 55.4% 45,027
9 2008 90.7 -9.3 pts 55.8% 47,908
10 2007 90.2 -9.8 pts 55.3% 59,345
11 2009 89.8 -10.2 pts 56.2% 49,545
12 2010 89.0 -11.0 pts 56.3% 70,076
13 2017 88.1 -11.9 pts 72.2% 57,261
14 2013 87.5 -12.5 pts 60.8% 59,921
15 2011 86.3 -13.7 pts 55.5% 52,146
16 2012 84.7 -15.3 pts 55.9% 43,689
17 2015 Inspect 84.2 -15.8 pts 62.9% 72,021
18 2014 Inspect 84.0 -16.0 pts 59.8% 77,961
19 2016 Inspect 84.0 -16.0 pts 65.4% 66,342

Why 2014 and 2015 and 2016 rank lower

The 2015 cohort passes 62.9% of tests (-15.8 points versus same-age cars) at a median 60,832 miles, with suspension the leading failure system. The 2014 cohort passes 59.8% of tests (-16.0 points versus same-age cars) at a median 68,588 miles, with suspension the leading failure system. The 2016 cohort passes 65.4% of tests (-16.0 points versus same-age cars) at a median 52,220 miles, with suspension the leading failure system. This is population-level evidence, not a known-fault list: service history, engine version and the individual MOT record can outweigh the registration-year average.

How to use this before buying

  • Rankings describe the cohort, not the car. A cherished 2014 example beats a neglected 2001 one — always run the specific reg through the free MOT history check.
  • Read the advisories. Repeated notes for the same component across years mean the owner has been ignoring it. Decode them in our advisory library.
  • Fuel matters on this model. The diesel deficit (3.0 points) usually traces to DPF and emissions kit on low-mileage use — check for P2463-type soot codes on the test drive.
  • Scan before you pay. A 2-minute OBD scan reveals stored faults the dashboard hides — see our scanner guide.

FAQs

Which Clio years should I avoid?

Based on 885,462 MOT tests adjusted against cars of the same age, 2014, 2015, 2016 are the lower-scoring outliers. That is a prompt for closer inspection, not proof that every car from those years is bad.

What is the best Clio year to buy used?

2001 and 2002 lead the age-adjusted MOT ranking. The score compares each registration year with all UK cars of the same age; the specific car's history and condition still take priority.

Is the Clio reliable overall?

Across 885,462 tests, the median age-adjusted index is 90.2 (100 equals the pass rate of all cars registered in the same year). Use the spread between years as one signal, then check the individual registration.

Methodology: index = 100 + the model-year cohort’s MOT pass-rate difference versus all UK vehicles registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded; at least 1,500 tests per page. “Inspect” years are below both the same-age baseline and the model’s median index by at least 2 points. Association is not proof of a model-year defect. DVSA anonymised data 2023–2025, OGL v3.0.