Renault Clio MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Renault Clio MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Renault Clio passed on its first attempt in 63.2%, and its overall record sits −8.5 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Renault Clio in the 2023–2025 data: 1,261,250 tests across 24 model years (2000–2023). 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 Renault Clio MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Renault Clio, 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 Renault Clio's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Renault Clio DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Renault Clio, each with how many of the model's 1,261,250 tests it was noted on.

• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 78,289 Renault Clio tests, 6.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 71,743 Renault Clio tests, 5.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 59,689 Renault Clio tests, 4.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Track rod end ball joint has excessive play" (Major) — noted on about 37,544 Renault Clio tests, 3.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 30,271 Renault Clio tests, 2.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 25,076 Renault Clio tests, 2.0% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Renault Clio Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Renault Clio model year on record is 2023 (95.2% across 105 tests), and the weakest is 2006 (67.9%). The gap between them is 27.3 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Renault Clio reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 2.5 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 Renault Clio Owners

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

• 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.

• 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.

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

Where the Renault Clio is most common

Across every Clio model year on record (2000–2023): 471,562 Renault Clio cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 1,261,211 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 14,280 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 Renault Clio 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: Renault Clio MOT & Reliability