2020 Citroen Berlingo — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2020 Citroen Berlingo passed 84.2% of its 45,179 recorded MOT tests. Against vans of a similar age (14.5% fail rate), the 2020 Berlingo comes out 1.4pp worse. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, visibility and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (11.0%) and visibility (8.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, headlamp aim and brake pads — wipers alone was recorded 3,320 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 17.7% versus 11.1%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 14.2% fail against 15.9% for diesel, a 1.7-point gap across 45,109 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 23.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 12.8% of tests failed in 2021 against 15.2% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 11.0% | 4,964 |
| 2 | Visibility | 8.5% | 3,818 |
| 3 | Brakes | 5.1% | 2,320 |
| 4 | Tyres | 5.1% | 2,301 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.2% | 546 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.2% | 537 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 3,320 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 2,468 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 2,123 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 1,723 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 1,579 |
| 6 | Washers | 1,351 |
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 | 23.4% | 10,580 |
| 2 | Brakes | 18.5% | 8,375 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 7.5% | 3,406 |
| 4 | Visibility | 6.6% | 2,989 |
| 5 | Other defects | 4.3% | 1,947 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.4% | 1,537 |
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 | 10,780 | 11.1% |
| 30-60k | 18,633 | 16.7% |
| 60-90k | 11,122 | 18.2% |
| 90-120k | 3,618 | 18.2% |
| 120-150k | 775 | 17.0% |
| 150k+ | 249 | 17.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 43,759 | 15.9% |
| Petrol | 1,350 | 14.2% |
| Electric | 70 | 14.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 39 | 12.8% |
| 2022 | 424 | 15.3% |
| 2023 | 15,358 | 16.3% |
| 2024 | 14,965 | 16.0% |
| 2025 | 14,393 | 15.2% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Berlingo
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 11.0% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (11.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (8.5% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
- Brakes (5.1% 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
How many 2020 Citroen Berlingos pass their MOT?
84.2% of the 45,179 2020 Citroen Berlingo MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 15.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Citroen Berlingo?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.0% of tests, followed by visibility (8.5%).
Does the 2020 Berlingo get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 11.1% in the 0-30k band to 17.7% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 45,179 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.