MOT fail rates

Citroen C3 Picasso MOT fail rate by age

How often the Citroen C3 Picasso fails its MOT at each age, compared with all cars of the same age, and what it fails on. From 22,583 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.

MOT data updated 22 September 2026

At 8 years, the most tested age

MOT fail rate at age 8 (n=5,729)30.3%

All cars at 8 years (n=10,440,457)23.8%

Median mileage at test44,838

All cars, median mileage60,745

257 of 315 model groups with enough tests fail less often at 8 years.

What stands out

At 5 years the Citroen C3 Picasso fails 20.6% of MOTs (3,280 tests), 5.3 points above the 15.3% for all cars that age. At 9 years it fails 31.4% (2,667 tests), 4.3 points above the 27.1% average.
The gap is widest at 7 years: 6.7 points above all cars.
Its most common structural or mechanical fail item at 8 years: Driveshaft CV boot split, at 6.7 per 100 MOTs.

MOT fail rate by age

Solid line: this model. Dashed line: all cars at the same age.

Citroen C3 Picasso: share of MOT tests that failed, by age, against all cars. Ages with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference	Median mileage
5 years	20.6%	3,280	15.3%	+5.3 pts	28,790 miles
6 years	24.4%	5,354	17.8%	+6.6 pts	33,767 miles
7 years	27.3%	5,553	20.6%	+6.7 pts	39,294 miles
8 years	30.3%	5,729	23.8%	+6.5 pts	44,838 miles
9 years	31.4%	2,667	27.1%	+4.3 pts	49,359 miles

Most common fail items at 8 years

Split into structural or mechanical items and wear items. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

Structural and mechanical

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs
Driveshaft CV boot split Major	6.7
Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn Major	1.9

Out of 5,729 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.

Wear and upkeep

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs
Brake light not working Major	6.1
Dipped headlight not working Major	3.6
Wipers not clearing screen Major	2.9
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Major	2.8
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Dangerous	1.9
Individual direction indicators: incorrect colour Major	1.9
Tyre with cords exposed Dangerous	1.9
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Major	1.6

Out of 5,729 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.

Other models at 8 years

Model	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Citroen C4	34.2%	68,406	23.8%
Citroen C1	21.6%	59,240	23.8%
Citroen C3	29.7%	51,445	23.8%

MOT fail rate by first-use year

Each year has its own page: the fail rate for cars first used that year at each MOT from 2022 to 2025 with at least 1,000 tests, the most common faults at that age, and the car tax and ULEZ rules for that year.

First-use year data updated 28 September 2026.

Latest MOT age with at least 1,000 tests for each first-use year.
First used	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
2016	9 years in 2025	32.3%	2,009	27.1%
2017	8 years in 2025	29.8%	3,249	23.8%

More on the Citroen C3 Picasso

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Looking at one Citroen C3 Picasso?

These are figures for the model, not for one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at a single car: its MOT tests, defects, advisories and mileage readings.

See an example report Browse the car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 22 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources