214,242 tests in 2025
Citroen C3 reliability and MOT pass rate
74.8% passed first time. The 25.2% fail rate is 2.6 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 9 years old with 53,933 miles.
Pass rate
74.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 25.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
53,933 mi
9 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 35,569 | 7.8% |
| 6-9 years | 72,558 | 18.7% |
| 10-13 years | 49,870 | 31.3% |
| 14+ years | 55,569 | 39.7% |
What the C3 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.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment387 dangerous38.3%
- Suspension1,062 dangerous36.4%
- Body, chassis, structure290 dangerous25%
- Tyres12,506 dangerous22.6%
- Brakes5,387 dangerous22.2%
- Noise, emissions and leaks75 dangerous14.7%
- Visibility16 dangerous13.4%
- Steering277 dangerous10.2%
Is the C3 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 1.6 points to 26.2% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 227,067 | — | 24.6% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 227,513 | — | 25.6% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 193,487 | — | 26.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 204,039 | — | 26.2% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical C3 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 C3 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt7,164 tests
- 2Coil spring: fractured or broken6,160 tests
- 3Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn5,517 tests
- 4Stop lamp: not working5,444 tests
- 5Position lamp: not working5,283 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm4,562 tests
- 7Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play4,435 tests
- 8Headlamp: not working on dipped beam3,429 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical C3 collects 2.72 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 1.6mm34,641 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened32,215 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure25,484 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn15,295 tests
- 5Exhaust system: system insecure14,918 tests
- 6Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine13,795 tests
- 7Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick12,407 tests
- 8Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn9,487 tests
Questions
What is the Citroen C3 MOT pass rate?
74.8% of the 214,242 Citroen C3 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 25.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Citroen C3 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded on 7,164 failed tests, followed by "Coil spring: fractured or broken" and "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 38.3% of failures, suspension appears in 36.4% of failures, body, chassis, structure appears in 25% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 7.8%; at 14+ years it was 39.7%. The median Citroen C3 tested in 2025 was 9 years old with 53,933 miles.
Is the Citroen C3 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 1.6 points to 26.2% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
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 C3 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 69 safety recalls naming the Citroen C3: Citroen C3 recalls.
Other Citroen models
Checking a particular C3?
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.