In 2025, 172,009 Citroën C3 cars had a regular MOT in Great Britain. 63% passed first time, compared with 69% for all cars of the same ages, which makes the C3 worse than average. Adjusted for age, it ranks 198 of the 217 most-tested car models.
That comparison matters: older cars fail more often, so a raw pass rate flatters models that are mostly young. We compare each model against every car on the road at the same age.
Pass rate by age
At 3 years old, 92% of C3s passed first time (all cars that age: 88%). By 20 years, that figure is 50% (all cars: 58%). It starts out ahead of the average car but falls behind from around 7 years, which is worth knowing if you are buying an older one.
Citroën C3 All cars of that age
| Age | Tests | C3 passed first time | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 1,030 | 92% | 88% | 21,437 |
| 4 years | 858 | 91% | 87% | 29,324 |
| 5 years | 4,803 | 87% | 86% | 34,261 |
| 6 years | 13,382 | 81% | 84% | 40,332 |
| 7 years | 15,400 | 76% | 81% | 47,489 |
| 8 years | 15,610 | 72% | 78% | 53,094 |
| 9 years | 8,784 | 67% | 75% | 53,153 |
| 10 years | 12,034 | 65% | 72% | 60,486 |
| 11 years | 13,621 | 62% | 69% | 66,329 |
| 12 years | 13,094 | 58% | 66% | 74,915 |
| 13 years | 14,154 | 56% | 63% | 80,709 |
| 14 years | 14,314 | 54% | 61% | 88,399 |
| 15 years | 16,578 | 52% | 59% | 93,402 |
| 16 years | 8,186 | 50% | 58% | 90,217 |
| 17 years | 4,046 | 51% | 57% | 80,800 |
| 18 years | 4,261 | 51% | 57% | 81,166 |
| 19 years | 3,661 | 53% | 57% | 80,154 |
| 20 years | 3,087 | 50% | 58% | 82,183 |
What fails most on a Citroën C3
The area that lets the C3 down most, relative to other cars, is body and structure: 9.7% of tests failed on it, 2.3 times the rate for the average car.
Share of C3 tests failing on this area Average car
The six most common failure items
| Failure item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | Suspension | 6.5% |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | Lights and electrics | 5.7% |
| Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | Lights and electrics | 5.2% |
| A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | Lights and electrics | 5.1% |
| A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | Body and structure | 4.7% |
| A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | Suspension | 4.2% |
What to check when buying a used C3
Based on where the C3 fails more often than other cars, these are the checks worth making before you buy:
- Body and structure: Get underneath with a torch: sills, jacking points, subframe mounts and floor pans. Structural rust is the failure that can make a car uneconomic to fix. Repair guide
- Lights and electrics: Walk round with the lights on: headlights (dipped and main), indicators, brake lights, number-plate and fog lights. Bulbs are cheap, but a seller who hasn’t noticed one out may have missed more. Repair guide
- Steering: Feel for play or knocking through the wheel, and check power-steering fluid isn’t leaking. More
Then check the individual car: its own MOT history will show whether it follows the pattern. A car with repeated advisories in the same weak area is more likely to fail its next test.
Check a specific C3
Enter the registration to see its full MOT history, mileage record and reliability score, compared with these figures.
Check a C3Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a Citroën C3?
In 2025, 63% of Citroën C3 cars passed their MOT first time, across 172,009 tests. Cars of the same ages averaged 69%.
What do Citroën C3 cars most often fail their MOT on?
The most common failure items were: a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn (6.5% of tests); the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements (5.7% of tests); stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning (5.2% of tests).
Other Citroën models
Citroën Berlingo (58%), Citroën C1 (68%), Citroën C4 (58%), Citroën DS3 (52%), Citroën Dispatch (57%), Citroën C3 Aircross (82%). All Citroën models
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 (class 4 normal tests; first-time pass means passed with no faults fixed at the test). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.