Renault Clio common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 306,758 initial MOT tests on the Renault Clio in Great Britain, and 57.0% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Renault Clio at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 306,758
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 57.0%
Failed at firstIncluding 6.3% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 43.0%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 9.7%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 57,545 off the road (SORN): 326,654

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

Failure areas

Where the Clio 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.

1Suspension
19.3%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
2Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
18.5%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
3Brakes
10.4%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
4Tyres
8.1%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
5Visibility
8.0%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
6Body, chassis and structure
6.1%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
7Steering
5.4%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
8Noise, emissions and leaks
3.1%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
9Seat belts and airbags
2.0%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Road wheels
0.4%
Damaged or loose wheels, wheel nuts and hubsAll cars and vans: 0.4%

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.

SpringsSuspension8.8%
Suspension armsSuspension8.1%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics6.1%
Brake performanceBrakes5.6%
Position lampsLamps and electrics5.5%
ConditionTyres5.0%
WashersVisibility4.7%
Steering linkage componentsSteering4.7%

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	545	92.7%	2.0%
2022	7,897	88.2%	4.9%
2021	9,215	84.6%	5.2%
2020	10,816	83.3%	6.7%
2019	17,246	73.0%	8.6%
2018	19,731	68.7%	8.4%
2017	19,229	63.3%	8.8%
2016	22,251	56.8%	9.5%
2015	23,929	55.6%	10.3%
2014	25,840	52.7%	10.9%
2013	19,681	53.2%	11.1%
2012	13,901	46.9%	9.8%
2011	16,236	46.0%	10.4%
2010	21,277	46.5%	10.0%
2009	14,693	46.5%	10.9%
2008	13,495	46.6%	10.7%
2007	16,071	47.1%	11.3%
2006	11,727	48.4%	11.3%
2005	7,263	50.4%	10.3%
2004	5,909	50.8%	10.5%
2003	3,840	51.6%	9.6%
2002	2,528	55.0%	8.8%
2001	1,502	54.5%	10.5%
2000	761	52.4%	9.7%

Mileage

Clio 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	18,900 miles	6,516
3 years	24,300 miles	8,500
4 years	29,200 miles	10,313
5 years	36,000 miles	13,773
6 years	43,000 miles	19,442
7 years	48,900 miles	17,509
8 years	56,300 miles	21,418
9 years	63,700 miles	22,481
10 years	71,500 miles	25,299
11 years	78,000 miles	22,656
12 years	79,300 miles	15,828
13 years	80,700 miles	14,785
14 years	83,700 miles	18,227
15 years	87,000 miles	19,421
16 years	90,300 miles	12,017
17 years	91,900 miles	15,480
18 years	90,800 miles	13,894
19 years	88,900 miles	9,037
20 years	88,200 miles	6,726
21 years	85,700 miles	4,828
22 years	82,400 miles	3,054
23 years	80,100 miles	1,988
24 years	76,500 miles	1,114
25 years	69,800 miles	484

Checking a particular Clio?

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

Renault Clio: common questions

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

What is the most common MOT failure on the Renault Clio?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Renault Clio was suspension: 19.3% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 9.0% for all cars and vans. Next came lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (18.5%) and brakes (10.4%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Renault Clio?

57.0% of 306,758 initial MOT tests on the Renault Clio in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 6.3% 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 Renault Clio 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. 9.7% of initial tests on the Renault Clio 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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