MOT fail rates by first-use year

2003 Citroen Xsara MOT fail rate and common faults

How Citroen Xsara cars first used in 2003 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 9,327 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 22 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 22 (n=1,317)47.9%

All cars at 22 years (n=913,980)41.0%

Difference+6.9 pts

MOT tests of 2003 cars, 2022 to 20259,327

What stands out

In 2025, at 22 years old, Citroen Xsara cars first used in 2003 failed 47.9% of MOTs (1,317 tests), 6.9 points above the 41.0% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 19 to 22 years old, the fail rate moved from 51.4% to 47.9%.
Citroen Xsara cars first used a year earlier, in 2002, failed 46.2% at the same age of 22 years (1,356 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Citroen Xsara at 22 years, is driveshaft CV boot split, at 5.1 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 2.9).

MOT fail rate by test year

Citroen Xsara cars first used in 2003: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	19 years	51.4%	3,571	43.2%	+8.2 pts
2023	20 years	51.1%	2,602	42.8%	+8.3 pts
2024	21 years	50.5%	1,837	42.1%	+8.4 pts
2025	22 years	47.9%	1,317	41.0%	+6.9 pts

Most common faults at 22 years

These figures cover all Citroen Xsara MOTs at 22 years: cars first used 2000 to 2003, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,256). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Driveshaft CV boot split	5.1	2.9
Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases	5.0	2.2
Side/position light not working Wear	4.8	4.6
Seat belt prescribed areas: prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced	4.5	1.3
Brake light not working Wear	4.4	3.7
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	4.3	3.5
Suspension ball joint worn	3.9	2.0
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Wear	3.8	3.2
Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength	3.6	3.5
Coil spring broken	3.5	2.1

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,256). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	18.5	13.7
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	17.3	15.1
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material	15.2	15.9
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	13.4	10.4
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	12.4	10.1
Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases	10.3	5.6
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear	9.0	6.8
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear	6.6	5.0
Suspension ball joint: slight play	5.4	2.8
Anti-roll bar link ball joint: slight play	5.0	2.0

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,256). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 22 years

These figures cover all Citroen Xsara MOTs at 22 years: cars first used 2000 to 2003, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,256). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Petrol	59.1%	47.3%	2,514	40.6%	95,420 miles
Diesel	40.9%	48.3%	1,741	42.1%	124,842 miles

Car tax rules for a 2003 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Many petrol cars first registered from 2001 to 2005 already meet Euro 4, but not all of them. For a 2003 petrol car the Euro standard of that car decides.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2003 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Citroen Xsara

2002 Citroen Xsara 2004 Citroen Xsara

Other Citroen models first used in 2003

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Citroen C3 (2003)	22 years in 2025	49.8%	1,938	41.0%

More on the Citroen Xsara

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.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2003 Citroen Xsara cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All 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 28 September 2026.

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

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.