Citroen Berlingo common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 184,253 initial MOT tests on the Citroen Berlingo in Great Britain, and 59.3% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Citroen Berlingo at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 184,253
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 59.3%
Failed at firstIncluding 10.3% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 40.7%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 9.3%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 22,922 off the road (SORN): 165,609

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

Failure areas

Where the Berlingo fails its MOT

The share of initial tests in 2025 with at least one fail or PRS item in each part of the MOT. A test can fail in more than one area, so these do not add up to the fail rate.

1Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
24.3%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
2Suspension
11.3%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
3Body, chassis and structure
8.0%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
4Brakes
7.9%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
5Visibility
7.4%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
6Tyres
6.9%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
7Noise, emissions and leaks
3.9%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
8Steering
3.0%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
9Seat belts and airbags
2.8%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Registration plates and VIN
0.3%
Number plates and the vehicle identification numberAll cars and vans: 0.3%

This modelAll cars and vans

Parts

The parts that fail most

Share of initial tests with a fail or PRS item on each part, 2025.

Position lampsLamps and electrics8.1%
Stop lampLamps and electrics7.5%
TransmissionBody and structure5.8%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics5.4%
Registration plate lamp(s)Lamps and electrics5.4%
HeadlampsLamps and electrics4.4%
SpringsSuspension4.3%
WashersVisibility4.1%

By age

Pass rate by year first used

Older cars fail more often, so compare a car with others of its year. Cars up to 25 years old; years with fewer than 250 tests are left out.

First used	Tests	Passed first time	Dangerous defect
2023	378	86.2%	2.1%
2022	7,999	73.3%	6.7%
2021	11,979	72.0%	7.0%
2020	12,359	73.8%	7.7%
2019	15,193	72.2%	7.6%
2018	13,514	61.2%	8.4%
2017	13,440	58.0%	8.6%
2016	14,161	58.2%	9.0%
2015	14,788	55.4%	9.9%
2014	13,810	53.4%	10.0%
2013	11,810	52.7%	10.7%
2012	9,199	52.2%	10.6%
2011	7,449	50.4%	10.9%
2010	6,726	50.5%	11.3%
2009	7,397	50.1%	11.1%
2008	4,784	51.1%	10.3%
2007	4,358	52.9%	10.3%
2006	4,153	52.9%	10.7%
2005	3,012	50.4%	10.9%
2004	2,811	53.5%	8.9%
2003	2,228	52.1%	10.6%
2002	1,258	52.3%	10.4%
2001	709	52.2%	11.6%
2000	351	53.3%	12.8%

Mileage

Berlingo mileage by age

The median reading at the test: half the cars of that age had covered more, half less. Estimated from 1,000-mile bands, for cars up to 25 years old.

A car well above or below the typical figure is not a problem in itself, but the readings should rise steadily from one MOT to the next. A fall, or a long gap, is worth asking about.

Check a car's mileage record

Age at test	Median mileage	Readings
2 years	37,300 miles	5,962
3 years	47,100 miles	10,486
4 years	55,400 miles	11,916
5 years	61,800 miles	13,331
6 years	70,800 miles	13,819
7 years	80,500 miles	13,226
8 years	87,900 miles	13,504
9 years	94,000 miles	14,634
10 years	101,700 miles	14,313
11 years	108,500 miles	12,783
12 years	111,300 miles	10,210
13 years	115,600 miles	8,462
14 years	121,100 miles	6,889
15 years	121,800 miles	7,069
16 years	119,200 miles	5,994
17 years	112,400 miles	4,557
18 years	113,600 miles	4,266
19 years	114,900 miles	3,469
20 years	114,200 miles	2,829
21 years	115,500 miles	2,560
22 years	113,700 miles	1,725
23 years	113,200 miles	940
24 years	118,200 miles	493

Checking a particular Berlingo?

Averages tell you what to look at. The registration tells you about this car: every MOT since 2005 with its failures and advisories, each mileage reading, and whether it is taxed.

Questions

Citroen Berlingo: common questions

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

What is the most common MOT failure on the Citroen Berlingo?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Citroen Berlingo was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 24.3% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 10.8% for all cars and vans. Next came suspension (11.3%) and body, chassis and structure (8.0%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Citroen Berlingo?

59.3% of 184,253 initial MOT tests on the Citroen Berlingo in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 10.3% passed after small repairs made at the test station within the hour (PRS). Across all cars and vans, 72.1% passed first time.

Does a lower pass rate mean the Citroen Berlingo is unreliable?

Not on its own. MOT results depend on age, mileage and upkeep as much as on design, so a model with many older cars on the road will usually fail more often. The table by year compares cars of a similar age. What matters most is the record of the car you are looking at, so check its MOT history before you buy.

What counts as a dangerous defect?

One the tester judges to be a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or to have a serious impact on the environment. The car fails and should not be driven until it is repaired. 9.3% of initial tests on the Citroen Berlingo found at least one, against 7.3% for all cars and vans.

Where do these figures come from?

From DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count initial tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain, as DVSA does in its own statistics: retests, appeals and abandoned tests are left out, and so are advisories and minor defects.

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