Citroen C5
From 35,899 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer C5s fare better: 2021 models pass at 91% vs 67.5% for 2004.
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 1,034 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 | 1,034 |
| a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 920 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 690 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 655 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 629 |
| a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | 508 |
| a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 488 |
| a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | 470 |
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 443 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 401 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 44.3% of C5 failures are safety items (worn brakes, tyre damage, steering play). The car still drives, but you shouldn't. Only 14.7% are the kind that would actually strand you. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £99.
Fuel type matters
Hybrid versions pass at 90.2% while Diesel versions pass at 77.5%, a 13 percentage point gap.
Citroen C5 on UK roads
The fleet is growing: 2,697 newly registered in the past year with 1,872 leaving, a net gain of 825.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 35,170 | 4,808 | +639 | -335 | +304 |
| 2025 Q2 | 34,846 | 4,828 | +691 | -330 | +361 |
| 2025 Q1 | 34,588 | 4,725 | +664 | -407 | +257 |
| 2024 Q4 | 34,331 | 4,725 | +703 | -800 | -97 |
| 2024 Q3 | 34,348 | 4,805 | +866 | -636 | +230 |
| 2024 Q2 | 34,073 | 4,850 | +865 | -350 | +515 |
| 2024 Q1 | 33,606 | 4,802 | +1,120 | -162 | +958 |
| 2023 Q4 | 32,738 | 4,712 | +1,059 | -804 | +255 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| C5 Aircross Flair Puretech S/S | Petrol | 2,880 | 14% |
| C5 Aircross Flair + Ptech Ss A | Petrol | 1,862 | 9% |
| C5 Aircross Shine Puretech S/S | Petrol | 1,852 | 9% |
| C5 Aircross Flair + Bhdi Ss A | Diesel | 1,560 | 7% |
| C5 Aircross Flair Bluehdi S/S | Diesel | 1,525 | 7% |
| C5 Aircross Flair + P-Tech Ss | Petrol | 1,251 | 6% |
| C5 Aircross Flair Bhdi S/S A | Diesel | 1,048 | 5% |
| C5 Aircross Shine Phev Auto | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 820 | 4% |
| C5 Aircross Shine Ptech S/S A | Petrol | 776 | 4% |
| C5 Aircross Cseries Ed Ptc Ssa | Petrol | 764 | 4% |
| C5 Aircross Shine Bluehdi S/S | Diesel | 743 | 4% |
| C5 Vtr+ Hdi | Diesel | 741 | 4% |
| C5 Aircross Eseries Ptc Mhev A | Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 695 | 3% |
| C5 Aircross Flair P-Tech Ss A | Petrol | 670 | 3% |
| C5 Aircross Max Bluehdi S/S A | Diesel | 663 | 3% |
| C5 Aircross C-Series Ed Phev A | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 645 | 3% |
| C5 Aircross Flair + Bhdi Ss | Diesel | 633 | 3% |
| C5 X Shine + Puretech S/S Auto | Petrol | 604 | 3% |
| C5 Aircross Max Puretech S/S | Petrol | 594 | 3% |
| C5 Aircross Shine + Phev Auto | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 592 | 3% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 91% | a tyre seriously damaged, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2020 | 88.5% | a tyre seriously damaged, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2019 | 85.1% | a tyre seriously damaged, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2016 | 71.8% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
15 earlier years
| 2015 | 79.9% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2014 | 76.9% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2013 | 70.9% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2012 | 75% | 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 |
| 2011 | 73% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2010 | 66.5% | 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 |
| 2009 | 67.5% | 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 | 65.5% | 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 |
| 2007 | 63.3% | a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2006 | 67.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2005 | 63.5% | a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2004 | 67.5% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2003 | 65.2% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2002 | 63.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, an obvious leak from any part of the system |
| 2001 | 61.1% | lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, exhaust system leaking or insecure |
Typical mileage
Half of all C5s tested had between 51,171 and 131,321 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 105,104 median miles, the C5 has 0.018 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Citroen models
| Citroen C3 | 71.4% |
| Citroen Berlingo | 67.9% |
| Citroen C4 | 68.9% |
| Citroen C1 | 74.9% |
| Citroen Ds3 | 66.5% |
Common questions
What is the Citroen C5 MOT pass rate?
The Citroen C5 has a 80.8% MOT pass rate based on 35,899 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Citroen C5?
The most common MOT failure on the Citroen C5 is a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which caused 1,034 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 C5s are on UK roads?
There are 35,170 Citroen C5s currently licensed on UK roads, with 4,808 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Citroen C5 at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Citroen C5 is 105,104 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 51,171 and 131,321 miles.
Buying a used C5?
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 80.8% pass rate and an average repair bill of £99 when things go wrong, budget accordingly.
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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.