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Citroën C3 Picasso reliability

E · Poor

MOT pass rates and common problems from 39,270 MOT tests of cars first registered 2015–2017.

Jump to: YearsEnginesCommon failures
74.8%pass first time
−8.7 ptsvs typical car
Beats 2%of cars
39,270MOT tests

Verdict

The Citroën C3 Picasso passes its MOT first time on 74.8% of tests, 8.7 points lower than a typical car of the same age and mileage (83.4%). That puts it ahead of 2% of cars on UK roads once age and mileage are taken into account.

Better than average on suspension.

Watch these weak spots

Lights & electrics2.5×as often as a typical car
Tyres1.4×as often as a typical car
Drive shaft (CV) joints8.5×as often as a typical car
Brake lights5.1×as often as a typical car

MOT pass rate by age

First-time pass rate at each MOT by the car’s age in years.

60%70%80%90%100%34567891083%79%79%75%73%69%68%66%
Citroën C3 PicassoTypical car, same age & mileage

Best and worst years

By year of first registration, ranked against all cars on UK roads after adjusting for age and mileage. Green = better than half of cars.

2015
Beats 4%
2016
Beats 3%
2017
Beats 1%

Engines

All years, most common first. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.

EngineYearsTestsPass rateRankGrade
1.6 Diesel2015–201725,31073.8%Beats 2%E
1.2 Petrol2016–201713,96076.6%Beats 2%E

Where it fails

Each area compared with a typical car of the same age and mileage, in points of pass rate. Tap or hover an area to see what to check.

Exhaust: 1.2% of tests fail on emissions & leaks, against 1.1% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for oil or fluid leaks.Suspension: 1.4% of tests fail on suspension, against 3.1% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for knocks over speed bumps and push each corner down: it should settle at once.Lights: 10.5% of tests fail on lights & electrics, against 4.2% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Walk round the car with every light on, including brake, fog and number plate lights.Tyres: 6.7% of tests fail on tyres, against 4.9% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Check the tread on every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts or bulges.Brakes: 3.6% of tests fail on brakes, against 3.0% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stop straight with no pulsing or grinding.Lights: 10.5% of tests fail on lights & electrics, against 4.2% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Walk round the car with every light on, including brake, fog and number plate lights.Lights−6.3 ptsTyres: 6.7% of tests fail on tyres, against 4.9% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Check the tread on every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts or bulges.Tyres−1.8 ptsBrakes: 3.6% of tests fail on brakes, against 3.0% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stop straight with no pulsing or grinding.Brakes−0.7 ptsSuspension: 1.4% of tests fail on suspension, against 3.1% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for knocks over speed bumps and push each corner down: it should settle at once.Suspension+1.6 ptsExhaust: 1.2% of tests fail on emissions & leaks, against 1.1% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for oil or fluid leaks.Exhaust−0.1 ptsSuspension: 1.4% of tests fail on suspension, against 3.1% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for knocks over speed bumps and push each corner down: it should settle at once.Brakes: 3.6% of tests fail on brakes, against 3.0% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stop straight with no pulsing or grinding.Tyres: 6.7% of tests fail on tyres, against 4.9% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Check the tread on every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts or bulges.Lights: 10.5% of tests fail on lights & electrics, against 4.2% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Walk round the car with every light on, including brake, fog and number plate lights.Exhaust: 1.2% of tests fail on emissions & leaks, against 1.1% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for oil or fluid leaks.Lights: 10.5% of tests fail on lights & electrics, against 4.2% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Walk round the car with every light on, including brake, fog and number plate lights.Lights−6.3 ptsTyres: 6.7% of tests fail on tyres, against 4.9% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Check the tread on every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts or bulges.Tyres−1.8 ptsBrakes: 3.6% of tests fail on brakes, against 3.0% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stop straight with no pulsing or grinding.Brakes−0.7 ptsSuspension: 1.4% of tests fail on suspension, against 3.1% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for knocks over speed bumps and push each corner down: it should settle at once.Suspension+1.6 ptsExhaust: 1.2% of tests fail on emissions & leaks, against 1.1% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for oil or fluid leaks.Exhaust−0.1 pts
Better than typicalTypicalWorse than typical
Lights: 10.5% of tests fail on lights & electrics, against 4.2% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Walk round the car with every light on, including brake, fog and number plate lights.

Every MOT area

Share of tests failing on each area, against a typical car of the same age and mileage (black line).

Lights & electrics
10.5% vs 4.2%
Tyres
6.7% vs 4.9%
Visibility
5.7% vs 3.3%
Body & structure
4.5% vs 0.9%
Brakes
3.6% vs 3.0%
Suspension
1.4% vs 3.1%
Emissions & leaks
1.2% vs 1.1%
Seat belts & airbags
0.4% vs 0.3%
Steering
0.2% vs 0.6%
Wheels
0.2% vs 0.2%

Buying one or MOT due? Check these

  • Brake lights 5.1× typical
    Walk around with the lights on: bulb failures are the easiest MOT fails to avoid.
  • Headlight bulbs & units 4.4× typical
    Check dipped and main beam on both sides.
  • Tyre damage & cracking 1.7× typical
    Look for cuts, bulges and cracking on both sidewalls of every tyre.
  • Windscreen wipers 1.8× typical
    Test the washers and wipers: a cheap fix, but a very common MOT fail.
  • Brake discs 2.8× typical
    Look through the wheel spokes for scored discs or a heavy rust lip on the edge.
  • Headlight aim 1.5× typical
    Park facing a wall at night: both dipped beams should sit level and dip to the left.

Pass rate by mileage

First-time pass rate by mileage at the test.

50%60%70%80%90%100%0k10k20k30k40k50k60k70k89%84%78%75%71%68%65%62%
Citroën C3 PicassoTypical car

Most common MOT failures

ItemThis carTypicalvs typical
Tyre damage & cracking5.0%2.9%1.7×
Brake lights3.7%0.7%5.1×
Windscreen wipers3.6%2.0%1.8×
Drive shaft (CV) joints3.5%0.4%8.5×
Headlight bulbs & units2.9%0.7%4.4×
Headlight aim2.4%1.6%1.5×
Windscreen washers2.1%1.2%1.7×
Brake pads1.6%1.5%1.1×
Brake discs1.3%0.5%2.8×
Tyre tread depth1.2%1.6%0.8×

Specific defects found

Tester wording for the most frequent failure items, per 1,000 tests.

Defectper 1,000
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen36.2
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning35.9
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc35.5
A tyre seriously damaged33.2
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED28.3
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements23.7
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen20.6
A tyre cords visible or damaged16.0
Check another car

Pick a make and model to see its MOT pass rate, best and worst years and weak spots.

Every year and engine

Tap a year to see its engines. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.

2017 Citroën C3 Picasso2 engines75.1% passE
EngineTestsPass rateRankGrade
1.6 Diesel13,82073.9%Beats 1%E
1.2 Petrol8,72477.1%Beats 2%E
2016 Citroën C3 Picasso2 engines74.8% passE
EngineTestsPass rateRankGrade
1.6 Diesel10,19474.2%Beats 4%E
1.2 Petrol5,23675.9%Beats 2%E
2015 Citroën C3 Picasso1 engine68.7% passE
EngineTestsPass rateRankGrade
1.6 Diesel1,29668.7%Beats 4%E

FAQ

What is the Citroën C3 Picasso MOT pass rate?

74.8% of MOT tests on the Citroën C3 Picasso were passed first time, based on 39,270 tests between 2018 and 2026 of cars first registered 2015–2017. A typical car of the same age and mileage passes 83.4% of the time.

Is the Citroën C3 Picasso reliable?

On MOT results it rates E (poor): it passes first time less often than a typical car of the same age and mileage and does better than 2% of cars on UK roads. MOT results cover safety and emissions items, not every kind of breakdown.

What are the most common MOT failures on the Citroën C3 Picasso?

The most common failure items are tyre damage & cracking, brake lights, windscreen wipers. Compared with similar cars, drive shaft (CV) joints comes up 8.5× as often.

How we calculate this. We use official MOT results for cars tested in Great Britain from 2018 to 2026. Each car is compared with typical cars of the same age and mileage, so old and new cars are judged fairly; “pts” are percentage points above or below them. Differences also reflect how cars are used and maintained, not only how they are built.