Citroen Xantia MOT pass rate & common failures
3,006 MOT tests on the Citroen Xantia (1993–2019) give it a 72.3% pass rate. All cars of a similar age fail 25.8% of the time, so this is 2.0pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
Suspension dominates the failure mix at 14.1% of all tests — 4.1 points clear of lighting & signalling, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are component mounting prescribed areas, service brake performance and steering rack — component mounting prescribed areas alone was recorded 188 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 20.0% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 29.0% once past 150k.
Split by fuel, petrol examples fail 2.0pp more often than diesel ones (29.0% vs 27.0%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 23.8% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Xantia model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 54 | 81.5% | 18.5% | Suspension |
| 1994 | 178 | 73.0% | 27.0% | Suspension |
| 1995 | 213 | 73.7% | 26.3% | Suspension |
| 1996 | 268 | 74.3% | 25.8% | Suspension |
| 1997 | 301 | 72.4% | 27.6% | Suspension |
| 1998 | 362 | 70.7% | 29.3% | Suspension |
| 1999 | 549 | 72.0% | 28.1% | Suspension |
| 2000 | 889 | 71.3% | 28.7% | Suspension |
| 2001 | 185 | 71.9% | 28.1% | Suspension |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 14.1% | 425 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 10.1% | 303 |
| 3 | Brakes | 9.5% | 286 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.6% | 198 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.7% | 172 |
| 6 | Steering | 5.5% | 166 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 4.9% | 147 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 3.7% | 111 |
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 | 188 |
| 2 | Service brake performance | 147 |
| 3 | Steering rack | 127 |
| 4 | Washers | 110 |
| 5 | Wipers | 105 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 87 |
| 7 | Catalyst emissions | 86 |
| 8 | Ball joint | 82 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 23.8% | 715 |
| 2 | Tyres | 23.4% | 705 |
| 3 | Suspension | 21.5% | 646 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 18.9% | 567 |
| 5 | Other defects | 13.8% | 415 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 11.8% | 354 |
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 | 30 | 20.0% |
| 30-60k | 196 | 19.4% |
| 60-90k | 580 | 26.4% |
| 90-120k | 780 | 28.8% |
| 120-150k | 524 | 29.0% |
| 150k+ | 893 | 29.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 1,907 | 27.0% |
| Petrol | 1,099 | 29.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 838 | 27.3% |
| 2022 | 664 | 26.7% |
| 2023 | 592 | 28.4% |
| 2024 | 503 | 29.4% |
| 2025 | 409 | 27.4% |
What to check before buying a Citroen Xantia
- Suspension (14.1% 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 (10.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (9.5% 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 Xantia?
72.3% of the 3,006 Citroen Xantia MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 27.7% fail rate, across model years 1993–2019.
What does the Citroen Xantia most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 14.1% of tests, then lighting & signalling (10.1%).
How much does mileage affect Xantia MOT results?
Fail rates run at 20.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 29.0% for 150k+, a 9.0-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Xantia more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 27.0% of the time against 29.0% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 3,006 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.