2015 Citroen C1 — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2015 Citroen C1 passed 85.8% of its 104,089 recorded MOT tests. That is 1.3 percentage points better than city cars of a similar age, which fail at 15.5%. Failures cluster in tyres, brakes and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.9%) and brakes (5.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, wipers and headlamp aim — tread depth alone was recorded 3,067 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 25.9% versus 9.7%.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 28.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 12.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 16.2% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.9% | 6,183 |
| 2 | Brakes | 5.8% | 6,077 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 4.8% | 5,027 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.1% | 4,248 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 2.3% | 2,348 |
| 6 | Suspension | 2.0% | 2,069 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 3,067 |
| 2 | Wipers | 2,713 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 2,235 |
| 4 | Service brake performance | 2,020 |
| 5 | Brake discs | 1,784 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 1,782 |
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 | 28.3% | 29,441 |
| 2 | Brakes | 21.0% | 21,861 |
| 3 | Suspension | 14.6% | 15,246 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.5% | 5,754 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.3% | 3,378 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 2.7% | 2,852 |
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 | 23,912 | 9.7% |
| 30-60k | 55,251 | 13.7% |
| 60-90k | 20,798 | 19.0% |
| 90-120k | 3,429 | 23.4% |
| 120-150k | 525 | 25.7% |
| 150k+ | 166 | 25.9% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 20,573 | 12.1% |
| 2022 | 20,726 | 13.1% |
| 2023 | 20,886 | 14.3% |
| 2024 | 20,946 | 15.4% |
| 2025 | 20,958 | 16.2% |
What to check before buying a 2015 C1
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.9% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (5.9% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Brakes (5.8% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (4.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
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 2015 Citroen C1s pass their MOT?
85.8% of the 104,089 2015 Citroen C1 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 14.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 Citroen C1?
Tyres, recorded in 5.9% of tests, followed by brakes (5.8%).
Does the 2015 C1 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 9.7% in the 0-30k band to 25.9% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 104,089 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.