Citroen C2 MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 18 model years and 94,019 tests, the Citroen C2 passes its MOT 69.9% of the time. That is 2.4 percentage points worse than superminis of a similar age, which fail at 27.6%. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and body, structure & corrosion.
Best and worst C2 years
Ranked across C2 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 — 71.2% of 2009 examples pass against 67.6% of 2004 ones.
No single area dominates — suspension (16.4%) and lighting & signalling (16.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are component mounting prescribed areas, joints and wipers — component mounting prescribed areas alone was recorded 5,476 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 16.4% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 34.4% once past 150k — 2.1× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 29.9% of the time against 31.1% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 31.8% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every C2 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 1,351 | 67.8% | 32.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 12,252 | 67.6% | 32.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 15,251 | 68.7% | 31.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 14,992 | 70.5% | 29.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 16,949 | 70.3% | 29.7% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 14,442 | 71.0% | 29.0% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 16,682 | 71.2% | 28.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 2,065 | 69.6% | 30.4% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 16.4% | 15,429 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 16.4% | 15,375 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 10.2% | 9,576 |
| 4 | Brakes | 9.0% | 8,495 |
| 5 | Visibility | 7.3% | 6,859 |
| 6 | Tyres | 6.1% | 5,721 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 4.4% | 4,100 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 2.4% | 2,289 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 5,476 |
| 2 | Joints | 5,177 |
| 3 | Wipers | 4,740 |
| 4 | Ball joint | 4,670 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 4,487 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 4,486 |
| 7 | Stop lamp | 4,419 |
| 8 | Individual direction indicators | 3,928 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 31.8% | 29,919 |
| 2 | Tyres | 28.7% | 26,949 |
| 3 | Brakes | 25.8% | 24,274 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 17.3% | 16,294 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 16.5% | 15,477 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 16.1% | 15,117 |
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 | 3,021 | 16.4% |
| 30-60k | 18,169 | 24.2% |
| 60-90k | 36,014 | 30.6% |
| 90-120k | 25,765 | 33.2% |
| 120-150k | 8,508 | 34.5% |
| 150k+ | 2,434 | 34.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 80,309 | 29.9% |
| Diesel | 13,710 | 31.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 27,928 | 30.2% |
| 2022 | 22,625 | 29.8% |
| 2023 | 18,445 | 30.3% |
| 2024 | 14,278 | 29.9% |
| 2025 | 10,743 | 30.2% |
What to check before buying a Citroen C2
- Suspension (16.4% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (16.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Body, structure & corrosion (10.2% of tests): The one to take seriously on older cars — corrosion to structural areas can be costly and is an MOT failure. Typical repair: £200–£1,500+.
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 C2?
69.9% of the 94,019 Citroen C2 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 30.1% fail rate, across model years 2003–2020.
What does the Citroen C2 most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 16.4% of tests, then lighting & signalling (16.4%).
Which C2 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2009 has the best pass rate at 71.2% and 2004 the weakest at 67.6%, from 16,682 and 12,252 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect C2 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 16.4% for cars in the 0-30k band and 34.4% for 150k+, a 17.9-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel C2 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 29.9% of the time against 31.1% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 94,019 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.