MOT fail rates
Citroen Xsara MOT fail rate by age
How often the Citroen Xsara fails its MOT at each age, compared with all cars of the same age, and what it fails on. From 125,734 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
At 17 years, the most tested age
225 of 250 model groups with enough tests fail less often at 17 years.
What stands out
- At 12 years the Citroen Xsara fails 42.2% of MOTs (1,527 tests), 6.2 points above the 36.0% for all cars that age. At 24 years it fails 48.1% (1,034 tests), 10.3 points above the 37.8% average.
- The gap is widest at 24 years: 10.3 points above all cars.
- Its most common structural or mechanical fail item at 17 years: Seat belt prescribed areas: prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced, at 10.9 per 100 MOTs.
MOT fail rate by age
Solid line: this model. Dashed line: all cars at the same age.
| Age | MOT fail rate | Tests (n) | All cars | Difference | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 years | 42.2% | 1,527 | 36.0% | +6.2 pts | 83,568 miles |
| 13 years | 45.0% | 4,416 | 38.3% | +6.8 pts | 85,958 miles |
| 14 years | 47.0% | 8,080 | 40.3% | +6.7 pts | 92,451 miles |
| 15 years | 49.2% | 14,555 | 41.6% | +7.6 pts | 95,509 miles |
| 16 years | 49.9% | 19,481 | 42.6% | +7.3 pts | 96,888 miles |
| 17 years | 50.6% | 19,686 | 43.1% | +7.6 pts | 100,042 miles |
| 18 years | 50.7% | 18,487 | 43.3% | +7.5 pts | 102,566 miles |
| 19 years | 49.9% | 14,475 | 43.2% | +6.7 pts | 105,156 miles |
| 20 years | 50.3% | 10,247 | 42.8% | +7.5 pts | 108,969 miles |
| 21 years | 49.3% | 7,254 | 42.1% | +7.3 pts | 108,547 miles |
| 22 years | 47.7% | 4,256 | 41.0% | +6.7 pts | 106,310 miles |
| 23 years | 49.6% | 2,236 | 39.6% | +9.9 pts | 102,926 miles |
| 24 years | 48.1% | 1,034 | 37.8% | +10.3 pts | 100,111 miles |
Most common fail items at 17 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 |
|---|---|
| Seat belt prescribed areas: prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced Major | 10.9 |
| Driveshaft CV boot split Major | 7.4 |
| Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Major | 4.8 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Major | 4.2 |
| Integral vehicle structure condition: corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced Major | 4.1 |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded Major | 4 |
Out of 19,686 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.
Wear and upkeep
| Fail item | Per 100 MOTs |
|---|---|
| Side/position light not working Major | 9.3 |
| Brake light not working Major | 8 |
| Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Dangerous | 5.1 |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Major | 4 |
Out of 19,686 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.
Other models at 17 years
| Model | MOT fail rate | Tests (n) | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citroen C1 | 46.7% | 22,431 | 43.1% |
| Citroen C3 | 48.2% | 22,067 | 43.1% |
| Citroen C4 | 51.0% | 15,055 | 43.1% |
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 .
| First used | Age at test | MOT fail rate | Tests (n) | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 22 years in 2023 | 49.7% | 1,151 | 41.0% |
| 2002 | 22 years in 2024 | 46.2% | 1,356 | 41.0% |
| 2003 | 22 years in 2025 | 47.9% | 1,317 | 41.0% |
| 2004 | 21 years in 2025 | 48.8% | 1,943 | 42.1% |
| 2005 | 20 years in 2025 | 49.4% | 2,255 | 42.8% |
| 2006 | 19 years in 2025 | 47.8% | 3,793 | 43.2% |
| 2007 | 18 years in 2025 | 50.0% | 3,599 | 43.3% |
| 2008 | 17 years in 2025 | 49.3% | 2,106 | 43.1% |
| 2009 | 16 years in 2025 | 46.0% | 1,928 | 42.6% |
| 2010 | 15 years in 2025 | 47.4% | 1,019 | 41.6% |
More on the Citroen Xsara
Looking at one Citroen Xsara?
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.
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