Know Your MOT
36.2%fail rate

Citroen C25 common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Citroen C25 fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 11,192 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 36.2% of MOT tests recorded on the Citroen C25 in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is lamps & electrical, which makes up 56.4% of the Citroen C25's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, brakes, suspension, other. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Lamps & electrical56.4% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Brakes46.4% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Suspension35.2% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Other32.2% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

Visibility/wipers20.8% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Exhaust & emissions19.8% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

Failure rate by year

How the MOT failure rate varies by the car's year of first registration (older examples generally fail more as wear sets in).

198836.9% fail · 802 tests
198936.9% fail · 2,325 tests
199035.9% fail · 2,176 tests
199137.2% fail · 1,542 tests
199236.0% fail · 1,184 tests
199335.0% fail · 1,133 tests
199438.8% fail · 603 tests
200035.8% fail · 148 tests
200235.6% fail · 149 tests
200331.6% fail · 171 tests
200730.2% fail · 172 tests
200825.2% fail · 123 tests

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the lamps & electrical failure: Citroen C25 headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Citroen C25 headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Citroen C25 headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Citroen C25 brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Citroen C25 brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Citroen C25 brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Citroen C25 suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Citroen C25 suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Citroen C25 suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Citroen C25 wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Citroen C25 wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Citroen C25 wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Citroen C25 exhaustSearch Amazon for Citroen C25 exhaustaffiliate searchFind Citroen C25 exhaust on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Citroen Xsara MOT failures30.9% failure rateCitroen Berlingo MOT failures29.6% failure rateCitroen C3 MOT failures27.2% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data · DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain