Citroen Xsara common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 19,659 initial MOT tests on the Citroen Xsara in Great Britain, and 51.2% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Citroen Xsara at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 19,659
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 51.2%
Failed at firstIncluding 8.1% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 48.8%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 10.1%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 16,725 off the road (SORN): 14,654

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

Failure areas

Where the Xsara 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
25.4%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
2Suspension
18.0%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
3Body, chassis and structure
14.4%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
4Brakes
10.0%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
5Tyres
7.8%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
6Seat belts and airbags
7.5%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
7Steering
6.1%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
8Visibility
6.0%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
9Noise, emissions and leaks
5.8%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
10Registration plates and VIN
0.4%
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 electrics7.9%
Stop lampLamps and electrics7.7%
Anti-roll barsSuspension7.5%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics6.7%
Seat beltsSeat belts and airbags6.6%
HeadlampsLamps and electrics6.5%
TransmissionBody and structure6.2%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks5.5%

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
2010	1,009	52.1%	9.0%
2009	1,917	53.8%	8.1%
2008	2,086	50.2%	8.8%
2007	3,579	49.7%	10.4%
2006	3,762	51.8%	11.1%
2005	2,236	50.2%	9.9%
2004	1,929	50.8%	10.3%
2003	1,309	51.8%	10.1%
2002	952	52.5%	11.6%
2001	585	51.1%	12.5%

Mileage

Xsara 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
14 years	86,900 miles	381
15 years	91,200 miles	1,714
16 years	96,300 miles	1,841
17 years	100,200 miles	2,708
18 years	98,200 miles	4,025
19 years	100,600 miles	2,770
20 years	106,500 miles	2,099
21 years	108,200 miles	1,576
22 years	107,000 miles	1,144
23 years	104,600 miles	748
24 years	106,800 miles	355

Checking a particular Xsara?

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 Xsara: common questions

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

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

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Citroen Xsara was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 25.4% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 10.8% for all cars and vans. Next came suspension (18.0%) and body, chassis and structure (14.4%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Citroen Xsara?

51.2% of 19,659 initial MOT tests on the Citroen Xsara in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 8.1% 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 Xsara 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. 10.1% of initial tests on the Citroen Xsara 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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