Pass rate, every year
68.2% Below average
1,190 tests across 9 model years, 2002–2010.
−12.8 pts vs the national average
Citroen Xsara Picasso MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics
Best year to buy
2010 75.0%
The strongest of the 9 years on record. See the 2010 page →
Worst year to buy
2002 64.3%
10.7 points below the 2010 peak. See the 2002 page →
The Citroen Xsara Picasso MOT pass rate is 68.2%, −12.8 percentage points below the UK average. That is 1,190 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2002 and 2010. This page lists the most common Citroen Xsara Picasso MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
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Citroen Xsara Picasso MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average
The Citroen Xsara Picasso passed on its first attempt in 56.8%, and its overall record sits −12.8 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Citroen Xsara Picasso in the 2023–2025 data: 1,190 tests across 9 model years (2002–2010). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 1,190 |
| Overall pass rate | 68.2% |
| Passed on first attempt | 56.8% |
| Average mileage at test | 103,519 mi |
| Model years covered | 2002–2010 (9 years) |
| Versus UK national average | −12.8 pts below |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Most Common Citroen Xsara Picasso MOT Problems by Failure Category
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Citroen Xsara Picasso, 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.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 47% |
| Suspension | 19% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 17% |
| Visibility | 6% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 6% |
| Brakes | 3% |
| Tyres | 1% |
| Steering | 0% |
Shares are over the Citroen Xsara Picasso's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Around 47% of the recorded Citroen Xsara Picasso failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (7.4%), "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (4.9%), "Position lamp not working" (4.2%) among the Citroen Xsara Picasso's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Suspension
Around 19% of the recorded Citroen Xsara Picasso failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (2.9%), "Ball joint excessively worn" (1.6%), "Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" (1.3%) among the Citroen Xsara Picasso's suspension faults.
Body, chassis, structure
Around 17% of the recorded Citroen Xsara Picasso failures fall in the Body, chassis, structure section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (5.0%), "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (2.6%), "Integral vehicle structure condition corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced" (0.6%) among the Citroen Xsara Picasso's body, chassis, structure faults.
Top Recorded Citroen Xsara Picasso DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Citroen Xsara Picasso, each with how many of the model's 1,190 tests it was noted on.
- "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 88 Citroen Xsara Picasso tests, 7.4% of the model's MOT record.
- "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 60 Citroen Xsara Picasso tests, 5.0% of the model's MOT record.
- "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 58 Citroen Xsara Picasso tests, 4.9% of the model's MOT record.
- "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 50 Citroen Xsara Picasso tests, 4.2% of the model's MOT record.
- "Stop lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 46 Citroen Xsara Picasso tests, 3.9% of the model's MOT record.
- "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 39 Citroen Xsara Picasso tests, 3.3% of the model's MOT record.
Best and Worst Citroen Xsara Picasso Model Years by Pass Rate
The strongest Citroen Xsara Picasso model year on record is 2010 (75.0% across 76 tests), and the weakest is 2002 (64.3%). The gap between them is 10.7 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
Citroen Xsara Picasso reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 0.9 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 Xsara Picasso | 76 | 75.0% |
| 2009 Xsara Picasso | 131 | 65.6% |
| 2008 Xsara Picasso | 166 | 69.9% |
| 2007 Xsara Picasso | 189 | 67.2% |
| 2006 Xsara Picasso | 257 | 68.5% |
| 2005 Xsara Picasso | 148 | 67.6% |
| 2004 Xsara Picasso | 112 | 66.1% |
| 2003 Xsara Picasso | 55 | 70.9% |
| 2002 Xsara Picasso | 56 | 64.3% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Citroen Xsara Picasso Owners
These checks follow this Citroen Xsara Picasso's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Citroen Xsara Picasso.
-
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 windscreen — “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.
-
the suspension joints — “linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt”
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 Xsara Picasso. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
Frequently Asked Questions: Citroen Xsara Picasso MOT & Reliability
What is the Citroen Xsara Picasso MOT pass rate?
68.2% of the 1,190 recorded Citroen Xsara Picasso MOT tests ended in a pass, −12.8 percentage points below the national average. 56.8% of those passed on the first attempt.
Which Citroen Xsara Picasso model years pass the MOT most often?
2010 is the strongest Citroen Xsara Picasso year on record at 75.0%, while 2002 is the weakest at 64.3%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
What are the most common Citroen Xsara Picasso MOT failures?
The most recorded Citroen Xsara Picasso failures are "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" and "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" — together around 12% of tests, mostly in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section.