7,632 tests in 2025
Citroen C2 reliability and MOT pass rate
60.4% passed first time. The 39.6% fail rate is 17.0 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 18 years old with 82,181 miles.
Pass rate
60.4%
22.6% of all cars failed; 39.6% of these did.
Fixed on the day
7.7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
82,181 mi
18 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 7,632 | 39.6% |
What the C2 fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Suspension129 dangerous56.5%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment65 dangerous40.9%
- Body, chassis, structure44 dangerous33.5%
- Brakes195 dangerous26.6%
- Visibility2 dangerous18.6%
- Tyres579 dangerous17.7%
- Noise, emissions and leaks5 dangerous14.3%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems2 dangerous7.2%
Is the C2 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.1 points to 39.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.4 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 16,986 | 15 | 39.5% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 13,851 | 16 | 40.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 9,538 | 17 | 39.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 7,631 | 18 | 39.6% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical C2 at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a C2 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength465 tests
- 2Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt415 tests
- 3Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn372 tests
- 4Stop lamp: not working303 tests
- 5Coil spring: fractured or broken293 tests
- 6Position lamp: not working292 tests
- 7Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively279 tests
- 8Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt229 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical C2 collects 3.3 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,322 tests
- 2Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine1,309 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened1,104 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure977 tests
- 5Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened743 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn687 tests
- 7Registration plates: inscription illegible533 tests
- 8Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases523 tests
Questions
What is the Citroen C2 MOT pass rate?
60.4% of the 7,632 Citroen C2 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 39.6% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 7.7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Citroen C2 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength", recorded on 465 failed tests, followed by "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" and "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn". By section, suspension appears in 56.5% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 40.9% of failures, body, chassis, structure appears in 33.5% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 39.6%. The median Citroen C2 tested in 2025 was 18 years old with 82,181 miles.
Is the Citroen C2 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.1 points to 39.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.4 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every C2 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 11 safety recalls naming the Citroen C2: Citroen C2 recalls.
Other Citroen models
Checking a particular C2?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.