Citroen C3
From 292,541 MOT tests. Average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer C3s fare better: 2021 models pass at 93% vs 61.4% for 2002.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc and tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements. The top issue, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, caused 11,878 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 11,878 |
| a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 7,734 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 7,142 |
| a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 6,863 |
| a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | 6,488 |
| stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 6,411 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 6,346 |
| a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 6,287 |
| exhaust system leaking or insecure | 5,872 |
| a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 5,580 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 29% of C3 failures could actually strand you: fractured springs, engine faults, exhaust problems. Another 24.7% are safety issues where the car still drives but shouldn't, such as worn brakes, corroded brake pipes, and steering wear. Breakdown cover may be worth considering for this model. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £120.
The warranty question
A 3-year-old C3 passes its MOT 89.7% of the time. By 7 years old that drops to 75.2%, a 14.5 percentage point fall, right as the manufacturer warranty runs out. At 10 years it's down to 69.1%. With an average repair bill of £120 when things go wrong, an extended warranty can make sense on a C3 that's past its third birthday.
Fuel type matters
Petrol versions pass at 73.7% while Diesel versions pass at 67.6%, a 6 percentage point gap.
Citroen C3 on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 12,847 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 8,296 newly registered, a net loss of 4,551. At this rate, roughly 57.6 years until none remain.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 249,147 | 12,899 | +1,757 | -3,496 | -1,739 |
| 2025 Q2 | 251,141 | 12,644 | +1,156 | -3,376 | -2,220 |
| 2025 Q1 | 253,709 | 12,296 | +1,095 | -2,793 | -1,698 |
| 2024 Q4 | 255,626 | 12,077 | +4,288 | -3,182 | +1,106 |
| 2024 Q3 | 255,189 | 11,408 | +4,039 | -3,133 | +906 |
| 2024 Q2 | 254,387 | 11,304 | +3,471 | -2,874 | +597 |
| 2024 Q1 | 253,681 | 11,413 | +4,912 | -2,742 | +2,170 |
| 2023 Q4 | 251,912 | 11,012 | +3,628 | -2,219 | +1,409 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| C3 Picasso Exclusive Hdi | Diesel | 14,211 | 11% |
| C3 Flair Puretech | Petrol | 13,362 | 10% |
| C3 Feel Puretech | Petrol | 11,138 | 9% |
| C3 Picasso Vtr+ Hdi | Diesel | 8,715 | 7% |
| C3 Aircross Flair Puretech S/S | Petrol | 7,929 | 6% |
| C3 Vtr+ | Petrol | 7,867 | 6% |
| C3 Plus Puretech S/S | Petrol | 7,437 | 6% |
| C3 Flair Puretech S/S | Petrol | 7,218 | 6% |
| C3 C-Series Edition P-Tech S/S | Petrol | 5,169 | 4% |
| C3 Shine + Puretech S/S | Petrol | 4,791 | 4% |
| C3 Vtr + | Diesel | 4,735 | 4% |
| C3 Vtr+ Hdi | Diesel | 4,735 | 4% |
| C3 Picasso Vtr Plus Hdi | Diesel | 4,695 | 4% |
| C3 Desire | Petrol | 4,537 | 4% |
| C3 Selection | Petrol | 4,223 | 3% |
| C3 Aircross Flair Puretech | Petrol | 3,993 | 3% |
| C3 Aircross Shine + P-Tech S/S | Petrol | 3,776 | 3% |
| C3 Aircross Shine Puretech S/S | Petrol | 3,770 | 3% |
| C3 Picasso Platinum Bluehdi | Diesel | 3,718 | 3% |
| C3 Aircross Shine + Ptch S/S A | Petrol | 3,328 | 3% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 93% | a tyre seriously damaged, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2020 | 89.7% | brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2019 | 86.3% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2018 | 83.3% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre seriously damaged |
16 earlier years
| 2017 | 79.4% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2016 | 75.2% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2015 | 73.5% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2014 | 71.8% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2013 | 69.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2012 | 66.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2011 | 65.4% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2010 | 64.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2009 | 63.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2008 | 63.8% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2007 | 62.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2006 | 62.7% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2005 | 61.5% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 2004 | 61.6% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 2003 | 60.1% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2002 | 61.4% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
Typical mileage
Half of all C3s tested had between 69,982 and 110,855 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 88,968 median miles, the C3 has 0.032 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Citroen models
| Citroen Berlingo | 67.9% |
| Citroen C4 | 68.9% |
| Citroen C1 | 74.9% |
| Citroen Ds3 | 66.5% |
| Citroen Relay | 70.2% |
Common questions
What is the Citroen C3 MOT pass rate?
The Citroen C3 has a 71.4% MOT pass rate based on 292,541 real MOT tests. This is around the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Citroen C3?
The most common MOT failure on the Citroen C3 is a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which caused 11,878 failures. Other common issues include a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc.
How many Citroen C3s are on UK roads?
There are 249,147 Citroen C3s currently licensed on UK roads, with 12,899 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Citroen C3 at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Citroen C3 is 88,968 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 69,982 and 110,855 miles.
Buying a used C3?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 71.4% pass rate and an average repair bill of £120 when things go wrong, budget accordingly. 29% of failures on this model could actually strand you, so breakdown cover may be worth considering.
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MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.