1997 Citroen Zx — MOT failures & pass rate
The 1997 Citroen Zx passed 72.4% of its 695 recorded MOT tests. Against all cars of a similar age (25.2% fail rate), the 1997 Zx comes out 2.4pp worse. Failures cluster in brakes, lighting & signalling and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (14.2%) and lighting & signalling (13.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are catalyst emissions, service brake performance and service brake imbalance — catalyst emissions alone was recorded 65 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 1997 Zx fails 22.4% of the time in the 30-60k band and 23.0% at 150k+, a spread of only 0.5 points.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 36.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 29.2% in 2021 to 21.5% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 14.2% | 99 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 13.4% | 93 |
| 3 | Suspension | 10.7% | 74 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 9.6% | 67 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 8.1% | 56 |
| 6 | Visibility | 5.6% | 39 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalyst emissions | 65 |
| 2 | Service brake performance | 62 |
| 3 | Service brake imbalance | 39 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 36 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 32 |
| 6 | Rbt (sp) | 28 |
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 | 36.7% | 255 |
| 2 | Suspension | 30.6% | 213 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 30.2% | 210 |
| 4 | Tyres | 25.5% | 177 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 19.6% | 136 |
| 6 | Other defects | 16.6% | 115 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 30-60k | 98 | 22.4% |
| 60-90k | 170 | 32.4% |
| 90-120k | 192 | 28.6% |
| 120-150k | 67 | 29.8% |
| 150k+ | 148 | 23.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 432 | 24.1% |
| Petrol | 263 | 33.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 202 | 29.2% |
| 2022 | 158 | 25.9% |
| 2023 | 133 | 28.6% |
| 2024 | 109 | 31.2% |
| 2025 | 93 | 21.5% |
What to check before buying a 1997 Zx
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: brakes accounted for 14.2% of tests. Start there.
- Brakes (14.2% 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 (13.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (10.7% 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.
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 1997 Citroen Zxs pass their MOT?
72.4% of the 695 1997 Citroen Zx MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 27.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 1997 Citroen Zx?
Brakes, recorded in 14.2% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (13.4%).
Does the 1997 Zx get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 22.4% in the 30-60k band to 23.0% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 695 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.