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Common problems by part

Citroen C5 exhaust, emissions and leaks problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 12,614 MOT tests · Updated

At 3 years, 0.3 in 100 MOT tests of the Citroen C5 failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 0.5 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 12,614 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years), 43 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 16 ages from 3 to 21 years, 77,525 MOT tests
  • MOT tests at 3 years: 12,614 for the Citroen C5

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

0.3 fails per 100 MOT tests at 3 years, against 0.5 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 3 (all test years). That is about average.

Why it matters

An exhaust, emissions and leaks fail stops the car passing until it is fixed.

What to check

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

Citroen C5 exhaust, emissions and leaks fails by age

Citroen C5 exhaust, emissions and leaks fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Citroen C5. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.02463 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 12,614 MOT tests34 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 0.7), 12,490 MOT tests5 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 1.0), 11,608 MOT tests56 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 1.3), 6,750 MOT tests10 years: 2.0 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 1,227 MOT tests1011 years: 1.8 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 1,713 MOT tests12 years: 4.8 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 3,013 MOT tests1213 years: 6.2 per 100 (all cars 4.3), 5,107 MOT tests14 years: 6.8 per 100 (all cars 5.1), 5,893 MOT tests1415 years: 6.7 per 100 (all cars 5.7), 4,922 MOT tests16 years: 6.5 per 100 (all cars 6.2), 3,793 MOT tests1617 years: 5.3 per 100 (all cars 6.5), 2,412 MOT tests18 years: 5.3 per 100 (all cars 6.8), 1,768 MOT tests1819 years: 5.9 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 1,703 MOT tests20 years: 6.0 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 1,460 MOT tests2021 years: 5.3 per 100 (all cars 7.1), 1,052 MOT tests
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Citroen C5 All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
312,6140.30.5
412,4900.50.7
511,6080.61.0
66,7500.61.3
101,2272.02.8
111,7131.83.2
123,0134.83.7
135,1076.24.3
145,8936.85.1
154,9226.75.7
163,7936.56.2
172,4125.36.5
181,7685.36.8
19*1,7035.97.0
20*1,4606.07.0
21*1,0525.37.1

All first-use years of the Citroen C5 pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years. * Only survivors are still tested at this age.

What fails in the exhaust, emissions and leaks at 3 years

Advisories (not fails)

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  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
  • Repairs ahead
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See a sample report

How to check on a test drive

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive.

Check one Citroen C5, not the average

The figures here describe Citroen C5 cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other Citroen C5 problems

Exhaust, emissions and leaks on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Citroen C5 have more exhaust, emissions and leaks problems than other cars?

0.3 in 100 MOT tests at 3 years, against 0.5 for all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average by our test (all test years; 12,614 MOT tests).

How common are Citroen C5 exhaust, emissions and leaks problems?

0.3 in 100 MOT tests at 3 years failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 0.5 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 12,614 MOT tests).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 77,525 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare