Citroen Xsara MOT pass rate & common failures
244,657 MOT tests on the Citroen Xsara (1997–2021) give it a 69.3% pass rate. Small family cars of a similar age fail 27.1% of the time, so this is 3.6pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and body, structure & corrosion.
Best and worst Xsara years
Ranked across Xsara 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 — 72.9% of 2010 examples pass against 67.2% of 2000 ones.
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 18.6% of all tests — 4.6 points clear of suspension, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are prescribed areas, position lamp and stop lamp — prescribed areas alone was recorded 17,613 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 21.3% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 35.3% once past 150k.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 30.2% of the time against 31.3% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 31.5% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Xsara model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 42 | 78.6% | 21.4% | Brakes |
| 1998 | 539 | 70.9% | 29.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 674 | 67.7% | 32.3% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2000 | 2,387 | 67.2% | 32.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 8,724 | 67.8% | 32.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 13,845 | 68.0% | 32.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 19,184 | 68.1% | 31.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 28,398 | 69.0% | 31.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 31,887 | 67.9% | 32.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 46,754 | 69.8% | 30.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 42,938 | 69.3% | 30.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 22,775 | 69.8% | 30.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 17,610 | 72.3% | 27.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 8,778 | 72.9% | 27.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 34 | 61.8% | 38.2% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 18.6% | 45,406 |
| 2 | Suspension | 14.0% | 34,184 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 10.8% | 26,315 |
| 4 | Brakes | 7.9% | 19,315 |
| 5 | Tyres | 6.0% | 14,691 |
| 6 | Seat belts & restraints | 5.9% | 14,465 |
| 7 | Visibility | 5.3% | 12,896 |
| 8 | Steering | 4.6% | 11,364 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prescribed areas | 17,613 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 16,548 |
| 3 | Stop lamp | 15,148 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 12,915 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 12,419 |
| 6 | Joints | 12,093 |
| 7 | Ball joint | 9,510 |
| 8 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 9,011 |
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 | 31.5% | 77,060 |
| 2 | Brakes | 27.5% | 67,204 |
| 3 | Suspension | 24.6% | 60,055 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 16.9% | 41,298 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 16.8% | 41,191 |
| 6 | Other defects | 14.6% | 35,839 |
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 | 2,489 | 21.3% |
| 30-60k | 23,328 | 22.6% |
| 60-90k | 66,386 | 28.3% |
| 90-120k | 78,006 | 31.8% |
| 120-150k | 47,295 | 33.7% |
| 150k+ | 26,144 | 35.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 139,398 | 30.2% |
| Diesel | 105,252 | 31.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 77,052 | 30.9% |
| 2022 | 59,712 | 30.5% |
| 2023 | 46,576 | 30.6% |
| 2024 | 35,301 | 30.9% |
| 2025 | 26,016 | 30.4% |
What to check before buying a Citroen Xsara
- Lighting & signalling (18.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (14.0% 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.
- Body, structure & corrosion (10.8% 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 Xsara?
69.3% of the 244,657 Citroen Xsara MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 30.7% fail rate, across model years 1997–2021.
What does the Citroen Xsara most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 18.6% of tests, then suspension (14.0%).
Which Xsara years are best and worst for MOT results?
2010 has the best pass rate at 72.9% and 2000 the weakest at 67.2%, from 8,778 and 2,387 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Xsara MOT results?
Fail rates run at 21.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 35.3% for 150k+, a 14.0-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Xsara more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 30.2% of the time against 31.3% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 244,657 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.