Know Your MOT
34.2%fail rate

Citroen Zsara common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 79 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 34.2% of MOT tests recorded on the Citroen Zsara in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is exhaust & emissions, which makes up 44.4% of the Citroen Zsara's failures, followed by exhaust & emissions, lamps & electrical, brakes, tyres. 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

Exhaust & emissions44.4% 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.

Lamps & electrical44.4% 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.

Brakes33.3% 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.

Tyres22.2% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

Visibility/wipers22.2% 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.

Other22.2% of failures

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

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 exhaust & emissions failure: Citroen Zsara exhaustSearch Amazon for Citroen Zsara exhaustaffiliate searchFind Citroen Zsara exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Citroen Zsara headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Citroen Zsara headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Citroen Zsara headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Citroen Zsara brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Citroen Zsara brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Citroen Zsara brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Citroen Zsara tyresSearch Amazon for Citroen Zsara tyresaffiliate searchFind Citroen Zsara tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Citroen Zsara wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Citroen Zsara wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Citroen Zsara wiper blades 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 ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain