Citroen Berlingo MOT pass rate & common failures
1,184,640 MOT tests on the Citroen Berlingo (1982–2025) give it a 76.4% pass rate. Vans of a similar age fail at 22.8%, so the Berlingo sits squarely on the average. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Berlingo years
Ranked across Berlingo years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 84.2% of 2020 examples pass against 69.3% of 2000 ones.
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 19.2% of tests against 8.4% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, stop lamp and headlamp aim — position lamp alone was recorded 94,766 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 29.7% versus 11.8%.
The electric cars hold up better: 14.4% fail against 23.6% for diesel, a 9.2-point gap across 1,113,312 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 27.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Berlingo model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 36 | 72.2% | 27.8% | Suspension |
| 1997 | 513 | 71.5% | 28.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 1,195 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 1,684 | 69.8% | 30.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 3,733 | 69.3% | 30.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 8,165 | 69.9% | 30.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 14,116 | 70.4% | 29.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 24,365 | 69.9% | 30.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 29,883 | 70.1% | 29.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 31,795 | 70.4% | 29.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 41,715 | 71.3% | 28.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 43,038 | 71.2% | 28.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 43,204 | 71.1% | 28.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 59,225 | 72.0% | 28.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 53,242 | 72.2% | 27.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 57,355 | 72.6% | 27.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 67,991 | 73.7% | 26.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 84,256 | 75.4% | 24.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 96,208 | 76.0% | 24.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 99,348 | 77.6% | 22.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 92,119 | 79.4% | 20.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 86,191 | 80.4% | 19.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 86,405 | 81.6% | 18.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 75,364 | 84.1% | 15.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 45,179 | 84.2% | 15.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 28,882 | 83.9% | 16.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 9,066 | 83.9% | 16.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2023 | 326 | 91.7% | 8.3% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 19.2% | 227,229 |
| 2 | Suspension | 8.4% | 99,920 |
| 3 | Brakes | 6.7% | 78,846 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.2% | 73,473 |
| 5 | Visibility | 6.2% | 73,086 |
| 6 | Tyres | 5.7% | 67,017 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 2.8% | 33,249 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 2.3% | 27,065 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Position lamp | 94,766 |
| 2 | Stop lamp | 78,388 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 57,989 |
| 4 | Joints | 57,086 |
| 5 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 54,419 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 50,896 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 43,013 |
| 8 | Washers | 42,946 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 27.1% | 320,936 |
| 2 | Brakes | 22.0% | 260,404 |
| 3 | Suspension | 15.5% | 183,819 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 14.1% | 166,850 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 10.3% | 122,103 |
| 6 | Other defects | 8.4% | 99,076 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 95,465 | 11.8% |
| 30-60k | 235,946 | 18.2% |
| 60-90k | 281,316 | 22.9% |
| 90-120k | 254,680 | 26.6% |
| 120-150k | 172,014 | 28.8% |
| 150k+ | 144,191 | 29.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 1,112,178 | 23.6% |
| Petrol | 71,271 | 23.5% |
| Electric | 1,134 | 14.4% |
| Gas/LPG | 53 | 24.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 228,970 | 23.2% |
| 2022 | 237,107 | 23.1% |
| 2023 | 242,410 | 23.8% |
| 2024 | 241,604 | 23.9% |
| 2025 | 234,549 | 23.9% |
What to check before buying a Citroen Berlingo
- Lighting & signalling (19.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (8.4% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Brakes (6.7% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Citroen Berlingo?
76.4% of the 1,184,640 Citroen Berlingo MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 23.6% fail rate, across model years 1982–2025.
What does the Citroen Berlingo most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 19.2% of tests, then suspension (8.4%).
Which Berlingo years are best and worst for MOT results?
2020 has the best pass rate at 84.2% and 2000 the weakest at 69.3%, from 45,179 and 3,733 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Berlingo MOT results?
Fail rates run at 11.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 29.7% for 150k+, a 17.8-point difference.
Is the electric or diesel Berlingo more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the electric fails 14.4% of the time against 23.6% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,184,640 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.