2,725 tests in 2025
Citroen Saxo reliability and MOT pass rate
62.9% passed first time. The 37.1% fail rate is 14.5 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 24 years old with 70,975 miles.
Pass rate
62.9%
22.6% of all cars failed; 37.1% of these did.
Fixed on the day
7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
70,975 mi
24 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 | 2,725 | 37.1% |
What the Saxo 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 equipment10 dangerous41.4%
- Brakes102 dangerous41.2%
- Noise, emissions and leaks33.7%
- Body, chassis, structure38 dangerous32.6%
- Suspension46 dangerous32.4%
- Visibility18%
- Steering5 dangerous12.7%
- Tyres130 dangerous12.5%
Is the Saxo getting worse?
The fail rate fell 2.5 points to 37.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-2.5 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5,456 | 21 | 39.6% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 4,436 | 21 | 37.7% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 3,127 | 22 | 38.7% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 2,725 | 24 | 37.1% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Saxo 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 Saxo in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits149 tests
- 2Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength147 tests
- 3Service brake imbalance: across an axle145 tests
- 4Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt130 tests
- 5Service brake performance: efficiency below requirements125 tests
- 6Position lamp: not working106 tests
- 7Stop lamp: not working106 tests
- 8Steering rack: gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt100 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Saxo collects 2.98 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.
- 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine451 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure390 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened269 tests
- 4Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded257 tests
- 5Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm246 tests
- 6Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases221 tests
- 7Registration plates: inscription illegible220 tests
- 8Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength140 tests
Questions
What is the Citroen Saxo MOT pass rate?
62.9% of the 2,725 Citroen Saxo first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 37.1% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Citroen Saxo usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits", recorded on 149 failed tests, followed by "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" and "Service brake imbalance: across an axle". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 41.4% of failures, brakes appears in 41.2% of failures, noise, emissions and leaks appears in 33.7% 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 37.1%. The median Citroen Saxo tested in 2025 was 24 years old with 70,975 miles.
Is the Citroen Saxo getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 2.5 points to 37.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-2.5 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 Saxo 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 3 safety recalls naming the Citroen Saxo: Citroen Saxo recalls.
Other Citroen models
Checking a particular Saxo?
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.