Citroen Nemo MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 16 model years and 99,546 tests, the Citroen Nemo passes its MOT 73.8% of the time. Against vans of a similar age (24.8% fail rate), the Nemo comes out 1.4pp worse. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
Best and worst Nemo years
Ranked across Nemo 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 — 78.2% of 2017 examples pass against 70.2% of 2008 ones.
No single area dominates — suspension (15.8%) and lighting & signalling (13.1%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are shock absorbers, coil spring and position lamp — shock absorbers alone was recorded 8,092 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 21.3% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 28.8% once past 150k.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 26.1% of the time against 26.2% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 31.4% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 25.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 27.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Nemo model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 3,904 | 70.2% | 29.8% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 16,441 | 71.8% | 28.2% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 16,479 | 72.6% | 27.4% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 8,751 | 73.8% | 26.2% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 10,296 | 73.3% | 26.7% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 10,005 | 74.1% | 25.9% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 11,168 | 74.4% | 25.7% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 11,630 | 75.3% | 24.6% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 6,817 | 77.0% | 23.1% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 3,061 | 78.2% | 21.8% | Suspension |
| 2018 | 982 | 80.5% | 19.4% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 15.8% | 15,776 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 13.1% | 13,015 |
| 3 | Tyres | 7.2% | 7,210 |
| 4 | Visibility | 6.8% | 6,750 |
| 5 | Brakes | 4.8% | 4,784 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.9% | 3,926 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.6% | 3,602 |
| 8 | Steering | 2.1% | 2,111 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shock absorbers | 8,092 |
| 2 | Coil spring | 7,384 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 5,184 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 4,709 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 4,003 |
| 6 | Washers | 3,524 |
| 7 | Wipers | 3,436 |
| 8 | Stop lamp | 3,048 |
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 | 31.4% | 31,288 |
| 2 | Suspension | 24.6% | 24,469 |
| 3 | Brakes | 15.6% | 15,542 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 14.8% | 14,684 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 13.2% | 13,163 |
| 6 | Visibility | 10.4% | 10,369 |
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 | 4,368 | 21.3% |
| 30-60k | 15,989 | 22.3% |
| 60-90k | 26,382 | 25.6% |
| 90-120k | 24,119 | 27.3% |
| 120-150k | 15,093 | 28.6% |
| 150k+ | 12,073 | 28.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 93,223 | 26.2% |
| Petrol | 6,315 | 26.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 22,695 | 25.1% |
| 2022 | 21,670 | 25.5% |
| 2023 | 20,554 | 26.9% |
| 2024 | 18,295 | 26.7% |
| 2025 | 16,332 | 27.3% |
What to check before buying a Citroen Nemo
- Suspension (15.8% 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 (13.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (7.2% 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.
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 Nemo?
73.8% of the 99,546 Citroen Nemo MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 26.2% fail rate, across model years 2004–2019.
What does the Citroen Nemo most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 15.8% of tests, then lighting & signalling (13.1%).
Which Nemo years are best and worst for MOT results?
2017 has the best pass rate at 78.2% and 2008 the weakest at 70.2%, from 3,061 and 3,904 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Nemo MOT results?
Fail rates run at 21.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 28.8% for 150k+, a 7.6-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Nemo more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 26.1% of the time against 26.2% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 99,546 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.