Citroen C3 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Citroen C3 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Citroen C3 passed on its first attempt in 72.0%, and its overall record sits −3.3 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Citroen C3 in the 2023–2025 data: 710,132 tests across 22 model years (2002–2023). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Citroen C3 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Citroen C3, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Citroen C3's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Citroen C3 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Citroen C3, each with how many of the model's 710,132 tests it was noted on.

• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 43,675 Citroen C3 tests, 6.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Stop lamp not working" (Rectified) — noted on about 19,338 Citroen C3 tests, 2.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 19,199 Citroen C3 tests, 2.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 18,574 Citroen C3 tests, 2.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 17,207 Citroen C3 tests, 2.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 13,091 Citroen C3 tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Citroen C3 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Citroen C3 model year on record is 2023 (95.7% across 139 tests), and the weakest is 2003 (68.2%). The gap between them is 27.5 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Citroen C3 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.7 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Citroen C3 Owners

These checks follow this Citroen C3's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Citroen C3.

• the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• the coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”

  Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.

• the suspension joints — “ball joint excessively worn”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Citroen C3. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the Citroen C3 is most common

Across every C3 model year on record (2002–2023): 274,772 Citroen C3 cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 710,110 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 8,507 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.

The twenty areas with the most Citroen C3 cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Frequently Asked Questions: Citroen C3 MOT & Reliability