In 2025, 276,330 Renault Clio cars had a regular MOT in Great Britain. 54% passed first time, compared with 67% for all cars of the same ages, which makes the Clio worse than average. Adjusted for age, it ranks 216 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 6 years old, 72% of Clios passed first time (all cars that age: 84%). By 20 years, that figure is 50% (all cars: 58%). It trails the average car at most ages, most noticeably at 9 years (18 points behind).
Renault Clio All cars of that age
| Age | Tests | Clio passed first time | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 years | 15,210 | 72% | 84% | 42,475 |
| 7 years | 19,725 | 69% | 81% | 47,918 |
| 8 years | 19,227 | 63% | 78% | 54,822 |
| 9 years | 22,249 | 57% | 75% | 61,454 |
| 10 years | 23,928 | 56% | 72% | 69,873 |
| 11 years | 25,833 | 53% | 69% | 77,284 |
| 12 years | 19,676 | 53% | 66% | 81,925 |
| 13 years | 13,900 | 47% | 63% | 80,533 |
| 14 years | 16,235 | 46% | 61% | 83,302 |
| 15 years | 21,273 | 46% | 59% | 87,568 |
| 16 years | 14,691 | 46% | 58% | 88,526 |
| 17 years | 13,492 | 46% | 57% | 92,790 |
| 18 years | 16,066 | 47% | 57% | 91,815 |
| 19 years | 11,726 | 48% | 57% | 91,245 |
| 20 years | 7,262 | 50% | 58% | 89,232 |
What fails most on a Renault Clio
The area that lets the Clio down most, relative to other cars, is steering: 6.9% of tests failed on it, 3.1 times the rate for the average car.
Share of Clio 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 | 11.7% |
| A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | Suspension | 10.9% |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | Lights and electrics | 7.8% |
| A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | Lights and electrics | 6.7% |
| Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | Visibility | 5.4% |
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | Steering | 5.2% |
What to check when buying a used Clio
Based on where the Clio fails more often than other cars, these are the checks worth making before you buy:
- Steering: Feel for play or knocking through the wheel, and check power-steering fluid isn’t leaking. More
- Suspension: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, look for leaking shock absorbers, and check the car sits level. Ask whether springs, bushes or drop links have been replaced. 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
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 Clio
Enter the registration to see its full MOT history, mileage record and reliability score, compared with these figures.
Check a ClioFrequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a Renault Clio?
In 2025, 54% of Renault Clio cars passed their MOT first time, across 276,330 tests. Cars of the same ages averaged 67%.
What do Renault Clio cars most often fail their MOT on?
The most common failure items were: a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn (11.7% of tests); a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened (10.9% of tests); the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements (7.8% of tests).
Other Renault models
Renault Captur (73%), Renault Trafic (56%), Renault Megane (55%), Renault Kadjar (74%), Renault Kangoo (54%), Renault Scenic (56%). All Renault 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.