MOT fail rates by first-use year

2009 Citroen Xsara MOT fail rate and common faults

How Citroen Xsara cars first used in 2009 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 10,069 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 16 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 16 (n=1,928)46.0%

All cars at 16 years (n=4,858,625)42.6%

Difference+3.4 pts

MOT tests of 2009 cars, 2022 to 202510,069

What stands out

In 2025, at 16 years old, Citroen Xsara cars first used in 2009 failed 46.0% of MOTs (1,928 tests), 3.4 points above the 42.6% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 13 to 16 years old, the fail rate moved from 44.8% to 46.0%.
Citroen Xsara cars first used a year earlier, in 2008, failed 51.3% at the same age of 16 years (2,728 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Citroen Xsara at 16 years, is seat belt prescribed areas: prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced, at 7.2 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 0.6).

MOT fail rate by test year

Citroen Xsara cars first used in 2009: 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	13 years	44.8%	3,063	38.3%	+6.5 pts
2023	14 years	45.3%	2,765	40.3%	+5.1 pts
2024	15 years	46.6%	2,313	41.6%	+5.0 pts
2025	16 years	46.0%	1,928	42.6%	+3.4 pts

Most common faults at 16 years

These figures cover all Citroen Xsara MOTs at 16 years: cars first used 2006 to 2009, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=19,481). 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
Side/position light not working Wear	8.3	5.9
Brake light not working Wear	7.7	4.0
Seat belt prescribed areas: prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced	7.2	0.6
Driveshaft CV boot split	6.7	2.9
Dipped headlight not working Wear	3.7	2.4
Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	3.7	1.8
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	3.3	3.1
Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength	2.9	1.5
Suspension ball joint worn	2.9	2.5
Anti-roll bar link worn	2.9	1.6

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=19,481). 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	20.8	18.2
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	12.2	9.5
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	10.2	10.7
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material	9.8	8.8
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear	8.6	5.9
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	8.0	11.2
Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases	5.9	4.6
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	5.0	6.8
Drive shaft joints: constant velocity boot severely deteriorated	4.7	3.5
Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)	4.4	3.0

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=19,481). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 16 years

These figures cover all Citroen Xsara MOTs at 16 years: cars first used 2006 to 2009, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=19,481). 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	59.3%	48.6%	11,543	42.6%	90,146 miles
Diesel	40.7%	51.8%	7,936	42.8%	108,072 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 16 years

These figures cover all Citroen Xsara MOTs at 16 years: cars first used 2006 to 2009, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=19,481). At 16 years, Citroen Xsara cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (58.8%, n=1,331) than those at 30,000 to 60,000 miles (35.7%, n=2,000). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
30,000 to 60,000 miles	35.7%	2,000	32.1%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	46.7%	5,761	41.4%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	53.2%	6,573	45.9%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	56.5%	3,408	46.8%
Over 150,000 miles	58.8%	1,331	46.1%

Car tax rules for a 2009 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

Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2009 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

2008 Citroen Xsara 2010 Citroen Xsara

Other Citroen models first used in 2009

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Citroen C1 (2009)	16 years in 2025	44.2%	11,066	42.6%
Citroen C3 (2009)	16 years in 2025	49.7%	8,247	42.6%
Citroen C4 (2009)	16 years in 2025	50.7%	3,869	42.6%
Citroen Nemo (2009)	16 years in 2025	46.3%	1,907	42.6%
Citroen C2 (2009)	16 years in 2025	49.7%	1,752	42.6%
Citroen C5 (2009)	16 years in 2025	46.6%	1,336	42.6%
Citroen Dispatch (2009)	16 years in 2025	49.6%	1,342	42.6%
Citroen C4 Grand Picasso (2009)	15 years in 2024	54.2%	1,123	41.6%

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 2009 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.