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Citroen Xsara seat belts and airbags problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 19,686 MOT tests · Updated

At 17 years, 8.8 in 100 MOT tests of the Citroen Xsara failed on seat belts and airbags, against 2.5 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 19,686 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: fails 3.4–3.7× as often as all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years), 1,734 MOT tests with a fail
  • When it starts: clear of 1.2 times from 12 years and at every older age seen
  • Most common fail: Seat belt prescribed areas: prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced, 7.2 per 100 MOT tests

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

What the MOT tests show

What we know

8.8 fails per 100 MOT tests at 17 years, against 2.5 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 17 (all test years). The Citroen Xsara fails more often here.

Why it matters

A seat belts and airbags fail stops the car passing until it is fixed; the most common one is rated major by DVSA.

What to check

Pull every seat belt out fully and let it retract, check each buckle latches and releases, and make sure the airbag light goes out after start-up.

Citroen Xsara seat belts and airbags fails by age

Citroen Xsara seat belts and airbags fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Citroen Xsara. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.0512 years: 5.0 per 100 (all cars 1.0), 1,527 MOT tests1213 years: 6.6 per 100 (all cars 1.2), 4,416 MOT tests14 years: 7.3 per 100 (all cars 1.5), 8,080 MOT tests1415 years: 8.5 per 100 (all cars 1.7), 14,555 MOT tests16 years: 8.6 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 19,481 MOT tests1617 years: 8.8 per 100 (all cars 2.5), 19,686 MOT tests18 years: 7.7 per 100 (all cars 2.7), 18,487 MOT tests1819 years: 7.0 per 100 (all cars 2.9), 14,475 MOT tests20 years: 7.6 per 100 (all cars 3.1), 10,247 MOT tests2021 years: 6.5 per 100 (all cars 3.1), 7,254 MOT tests22 years: 7.4 per 100 (all cars 3.1), 4,256 MOT tests2223 years: 8.3 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 2,236 MOT tests24 years: 6.9 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 1,034 MOT tests24
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Citroen Xsara All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
121,5275.01.0
134,4166.61.2
148,0807.31.5
1514,5558.51.7
1619,4818.62.1
1719,6868.82.5
1818,4877.72.7
19*14,4757.02.9
20*10,2477.63.1
21*7,2546.53.1
22*4,2567.43.1
23*2,2368.33.2
24*1,0346.93.2

All first-use years of the Citroen Xsara 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 seat belts and airbags at 17 years

Fails

Repair cost

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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

By engine and fuel

  • 1.6 petrol: 8.4 per 100 at 17 years, fails 3.8–4.3× as often as petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 9,113 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

Pull every seat belt out fully and let it retract, check each buckle latches and releases, and make sure the airbag light goes out after start-up.

Check one Citroen Xsara, not the average

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

Other Citroen Xsara problems

Seat belts and airbags on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Citroen Xsara have more seat belts and airbags problems than other cars?

3.4 to 3.7 times the seat belts and airbags fail rate of all class 4 vehicles the same age at 17 years (all test years), from 19,686 MOT tests. The interval is clear of 1.2 in the same direction at 5 of the 13 ages seen (ages up to 18 with at least 100 MOT tests with a fail).

How common are Citroen Xsara seat belts and airbags problems?

8.8 in 100 MOT tests at 17 years failed on seat belts and airbags, against 2.5 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 19,686 MOT tests).

What is the most common Citroen Xsara seat belts and airbags fail?

7.2 in 100 MOT tests at 17 years: Seat belt prescribed areas: prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced (1,421 MOT tests with it).

At what age do Citroen Xsara seat belts and airbags fails start?

12 years: from then on the rate stays clear of 1.2 times all class 4 vehicles the same age at every age seen, 125,734 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, 125,734 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