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Renault Clio exhaust, emissions and leaks problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 94,996 MOT tests · Updated

At 9 years, 2.0 in 100 MOT tests of the Renault Clio failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 2.4 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 94,996 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), 1,941 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 23 ages from 3 to 25 years, 1,326,120 MOT tests
  • MOT tests at 9 years: 94,996 for the Renault Clio

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

What the MOT tests show

What we know

2.0 fails per 100 MOT tests at 9 years, against 2.4 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 9 (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.

Renault Clio exhaust, emissions and leaks fails by age

Renault Clio exhaust, emissions and leaks fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Renault Clio. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.053 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 46,074 MOT tests34 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 0.7), 57,490 MOT tests5 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 1.0), 67,679 MOT tests56 years: 1.2 per 100 (all cars 1.3), 79,595 MOT tests7 years: 1.5 per 100 (all cars 1.7), 86,872 MOT tests78 years: 1.6 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 93,733 MOT tests9 years: 2.0 per 100 (all cars 2.4), 94,996 MOT tests910 years: 2.2 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 87,369 MOT tests11 years: 2.4 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 81,508 MOT tests1112 years: 3.1 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 80,929 MOT tests13 years: 3.5 per 100 (all cars 4.3), 77,920 MOT tests1314 years: 3.7 per 100 (all cars 5.1), 80,142 MOT tests15 years: 4.3 per 100 (all cars 5.7), 84,896 MOT tests1516 years: 4.6 per 100 (all cars 6.2), 77,542 MOT tests17 years: 5.2 per 100 (all cars 6.5), 66,497 MOT tests1718 years: 5.6 per 100 (all cars 6.8), 54,769 MOT tests19 years: 6.0 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 38,848 MOT tests1920 years: 6.0 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 27,004 MOT tests21 years: 5.1 per 100 (all cars 7.1), 18,563 MOT tests2122 years: 5.1 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 11,449 MOT tests23 years: 6.4 per 100 (all cars 6.9), 6,839 MOT tests2324 years: 6.7 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 3,612 MOT tests25 years: 8.8 per 100 (all cars 7.1), 1,794 MOT tests25
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Renault Clio All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
346,0740.30.5
457,4900.60.7
567,6790.91.0
679,5951.21.3
786,8721.51.7
893,7331.62.1
994,9962.02.4
1087,3692.22.8
1181,5082.43.2
1280,9293.13.7
1377,9203.54.3
1480,1423.75.1
1584,8964.35.7
1677,5424.66.2
1766,4975.26.5
1854,7695.66.8
19*38,8486.07.0
20*27,0046.07.0
21*18,5635.17.1
22*11,4495.17.0
23*6,8396.46.9
24*3,6126.77.0
25*1,7948.87.1

All first-use years of the Renault Clio 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 9 years

Advisories (not fails)

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  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
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By engine and fuel

  • 1.1 petrol: 2.9 per 100 at 9 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 30,017 MOT tests)
  • 1.5 diesel: 1.1 per 100 at 9 years, about average for diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 32,433 MOT tests)
  • 0.9 petrol: 2.0 per 100 at 9 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 30,134 MOT tests)

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 Renault Clio, not the average

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

Other Renault Clio problems

Exhaust, emissions and leaks on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Renault Clio have more exhaust, emissions and leaks problems than other cars?

2.0 in 100 MOT tests at 9 years, against 2.4 for all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average by our test (all test years; 94,996 MOT tests).

How common are Renault Clio exhaust, emissions and leaks problems?

2.0 in 100 MOT tests at 9 years failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 2.4 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 94,996 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, 1,326,120 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