Pass rate
71.4%
Below average — 1.9 pts behind the 73.3% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 3,523 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £60–£162
2001 Citroen Saxo MOT pass rate
- 2001
- typical 72,176 mi
Check your postcode
Most common fault
Brakes
19.5% of faults · 20.9% nationally
mostly worn pads and discs, corroded pipes and a handbrake that will not hold.
Which year to buy
- Best 2004 72.7% pass
- Avoid 2000 69.2% pass
Across the 5 years on record, a spread of 3.5 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 63.6%
- Typical mileage
- 72k mi
The 2001 Citroen Saxo MOT pass rate is 71.4% of its MOT tests — 1.9 points behind what its age and mileage predict. Brakes is the biggest single reason it fails, at 19.5% of what testers record.
Expert verdict
Emissions & leaks: 2.2× the national share
Emissions & leaks make up 12.4% of everything recorded on the 2001 Citroen Saxo, against 5.5% nationally — 6.9 points above. Brakes are still the single largest share at 19.5%, but at 20.9% nationally that one is ordinary. A smoky diesel or a leaking joint fails on emissions more often than on wear, so ask for a recent emissions printout.
- When it fails, it costs. Only 29% of this model’s typical repairs come in under £30 in parts — the failures here tend to be the kind that need a garage rather than a bulb.
Written from this page's own figures: fault shares against the national composition, the like-for-like pass rate, and the priced repair list. How these are worked out
Watching a Citroen Saxo? Get an email when these numbers change .
How does the 2001 Citroen Saxo compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 73.3%, so this figure is 1.9 points behind what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 63.6%. The median 2001 Citroen Saxo in this dataset had covered 72,176 mi.
The most common fuel recorded here is Petrol — 97% of tests, with a 71.4% pass rate. Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 71.0% of the time, April–September 71.8%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Service brake imbalance across an axle", noted on 4.97% of tests.
- 3,523 recorded tests behind this page.
- 71.4% overall pass rate, 63.6% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the Citroen Saxo, the average is 70.7% — best year 2004 (72.7%), worst 2000 (69.2%).
Figures count every completed test on this vehicle-year in the dataset, including retests. See methodology for the exact definition.
This page's data
- Tests analysed
- 3,523
- Typical mileage (median)
- 72,176 mi
- Make and model
- Citroen Saxo
- Updated
- 2026-11-07
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Brake Discs and Pads Set
Usually a DIY or independent-garage job.
Does mileage affect the Saxo MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 60% so small gaps stay visible.
Fuel type and reliability
Pass rate by fuel type. Petrol is the most common here (97% of tests).
Where the Citroen Saxo is most common
Across all Saxo model years on record (2000–2004): 5,068 Citroen Saxo cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 12,259 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 176 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.
| # | Postcode area | Cars | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham (B) | 176 | 75.3% |
| 2 | Portsmouth (PO) | 128 | 67.6% |
| 3 | Gloucester (GL) | 116 | 68.0% |
| 4 | Exeter (EX) | 107 | 62.0% |
| 5 | Poole (BH) | 105 | 68.0% |
| 6 | Peterborough (PE) | 101 | 68.3% |
| 7 | Bristol (BS) | 101 | 68.3% |
| 8 | Guildford (GU) | 99 | 72.2% |
| 9 | Sheffield (S) | 98 | 66.4% |
| 10 | Brighton (BN) | 87 | 71.5% |
| 11 | Reading (RG) | 87 | 72.9% |
| 12 | Ashford (TN) | 86 | 69.2% |
| 13 | Crawley (RH) | 86 | 76.1% |
| 14 | Coventry (CV) | 85 | 77.2% |
| 15 | Derby (DE) | 84 | 73.3% |
| 16 | Plymouth (PL) | 82 | 62.9% |
| 17 | Oxford (OX) | 80 | 67.6% |
| 18 | Southampton (SO) | 79 | 77.6% |
| 19 | Yeovil (BA) | 77 | 70.2% |
| 20 | Norwich (NR) | 75 | 63.7% |
The twenty areas with the most Citroen Saxo 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 →
Regional pass rates for the Saxo
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 920 | 72.4% |
| South West | 594 | 65.7% |
| East of England | 513 | 69.6% |
| West Midlands | 451 | 74.7% |
| North West | 286 | 73.1% |
| Yorkshire | 232 | 72.4% |
| East Midlands | 176 | 72.7% |
| Wales | 105 | 66.7% |
| Scotland | 93 | 74.2% |
| London | 91 | 76.9% |
| North East | 62 | 80.6% |
Regions come from the postcode area recorded at the test station. Areas on region borders are assigned to the region with the majority of their population.
What fails a 2001 Saxo
Everything a tester recorded on this vehicle, grouped into the inspection sections that produced it. The notch on each bar is the national share, so you can see at a glance whether this car is unusual or just ordinary.
A test can record several items, so these percentages do not add up to 100%. The exact strings, with prices, are in the full DVSA record at the bottom of this page.
Before your test
Three checks worth doing on a 2001 Saxo
These are not generic tips — they are the faults recorded most often on this exact model, rewritten as things you can check yourself. All three take about ten minutes and cost nothing.
-
Check corrosion 4.1% of tests
“component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength”
Look under the sills, around the jacking points and where the suspension mounts meet the body. Flaking, holed or crumbly metal fails; a brown stain on sound metal does not.
-
Check the lights 4.0% of tests
“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.
-
Check the windscreen 3.5% of tests
“windscreen damaged”
Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.
Shares are the proportion of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item, so they overlap: one test can record several.
What it costs to get a 2001 Saxo through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £60–£162 — and 29% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £60–£162
- Cheapest common item: stop lamp not working
- £3–£12
- Dearest common item: component mounting prescribed areas…
- £180–£450
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 40%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 29%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 3,523 MOT tests on this vehicle. They exclude diagnostics, retest fees and garage labour where the part is a DIY fit, and they are not figures from the DVSA dataset. Older and higher-mileage examples cost more than the average. How these estimates are built → · All MOT repair costs → · Cheapest cars to put through a test →
Every year of the Saxo, side by side
5 model years on record, from 2000 to 2004. Across them the pass rate runs from 69.2% to 72.7% — a spread of 3.5 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2000 69.2% catalyst emissions lambda reading…
- 2001 71.4%service brake imbalance across an…
- 2002 70.0% service brake imbalance across an…
- 2003 71.6% joints constant velocity boot…
- 2004 72.7% joints constant velocity boot…
Colour is the pass rate on a fixed scale, so a block means the same thing on any model. Each year links to its own page with the full fault breakdown.
Compare the 2001 Citroen Saxo with another year
The raw pass rate mostly measures age. The year comparison adds the like-for-like figure, the mileage bands and the repair bill.
Other 2001 cars with a similar record
- Skoda Fabia 71.5%
- Vauxhall Zafira 71.5%
- Rover 75 71.5%
- Jaguar X-Type 71.5%
- Toyota Hilux 71.3%
- Volvo V70 71.6%
Closest pass rates among 2001 cars with at least 2,000 tests, so a small sample cannot flatter itself into the list. See the full rankings: best and worst MOT pass rates.
The full DVSA record for the 2001 Citroen Saxo 10 failure items · 6 advisories · 10 inspection categories · mileage brackets · all of it in the page, none of it above the fold
Every inspection category
Shares of the 9,769 individual items recorded on this vehicle, and the same share across all cars nationally. A single test can record several items, so a row is not a percentage of tests.
| Category | Items | This car | Nationally | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 1,942 | 19.50% | 20.89% | −1.39 |
| Suspension | 1,503 | 15.10% | 20.98% | −5.88 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1,444 | 14.50% | 12.21% | +2.29 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 1,231 | 12.40% | 5.52% | +6.88 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 1,207 | 12.10% | 5.57% | +6.53 |
| Tyres | 1,109 | 11.10% | 19.76% | −8.66 |
| Visibility | 489 | 4.90% | 4.97% | −0.07 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 374 | 3.80% | 1.76% | +2.04 |
| Steering | 300 | 3.00% | 2.57% | +0.43 |
| Non-component advisories | 170 | 1.70% | 4.18% | −2.48 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brake imbalance across an axle Brakes | Major | 5.0% | £45–110 |
| Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Suspension | Major | 4.1% | £180–450 |
| Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 4.0% | £5–20 |
| Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | Major | 3.7% | £80–250 |
| Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated Body, chassis, structure | Minor | 3.6% | £80–250 |
| Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view Visibility | Minor | 3.5% | £80–200 |
| Service brake performance efficiency below requirements Brakes | Major | 3.4% | £60–150 |
| Stop lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 3.4% | £3–12 |
| Exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | Major | 3.3% | £45–120 |
| Position lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 3.3% | £5–25 |
Severity is as recorded: Major and Dangerous fail the test outright; Minor and Advisory do not. Costs are estimates from typical UK parts prices — see how they are built.
What testers noted without failing the car
Advisories are the early warnings — the same parts a year or two before they fail. Reading them is how you tell a car that has been maintained from one that has been patched.
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine oil leaks leaking excessively from engine Noise, emissions and leaks | Advisory | 20.2% | £200–700 |
| Has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | Advisory | 16.6% | £45–95 |
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Advisory | 12.1% | £80–180 |
| Brake discs in such a condition that it is seriously weakened Brakes | Advisory | 10.3% | £45–110 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 10.1% | £45–95 |
| Registration plates inscription illegible Identification of the vehicle | Advisory | 9.8% | £20–80 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 176 | 80.1% | 21,721 mi |
| 30-60k | 1,012 | 74.7% | 47,099 mi |
| 60-90k | 1,240 | 68.8% | 73,969 mi |
| 90-120k | 750 | 69.7% | 102,677 mi |
| 120k+ | 318 | 69.5% | 139,803 mi |
Source: 3,523 recorded tests on this vehicle-year. Every row above is recomputed from the same DVSA extract as the rest of the page — see the methodology.
2001 Saxo MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2001 Citroen Saxo?
71.4% of the 3,523 2001 Citroen Saxo tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 73.3% for cars first used in 2001. First-attempt pass rate: 63.6%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2001 Citroen Saxo?
The three most recorded items are service brake imbalance across an axle (4.97%), component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (4.09%), registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.03%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2001 Citroen Saxo MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 80.1% of the time, falling to 69.5% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2001 Citroen Saxo in this dataset had covered 72,176 mi.
Which fuel type is most reliable for a 2001 Citroen Saxo?
Petrol: 71.4% pass rate across 3,426 tests. Diesel: 69.1% pass rate across 97 tests. Shares are of the tests on this vehicle that recorded each fuel type.
Does the season affect the 2001 Citroen Saxo MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 71.0% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 71.8%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.