Verdict
The Citroën Xsara passes its MOT first time on 48.5% of tests, 6.3 points lower than a typical car of the same age and mileage (54.8%). That puts it ahead of 27% of cars on UK roads once age and mileage are taken into account.
By year of first registration, the 2003 Xsara does best (beats 32% of cars) and the 2005 worst (beats 22%).
Of its engines, the 2.0 Petrol does best (beats 31%) and the 1.7 Petrol worst (beats 24%).
Watch these weak spots
MOT pass rate by age
First-time pass rate at each MOT by the car’s age in years.
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.
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.
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 Petrol | 49.2% | Beats 25% | D |
| 1.6 Diesel | 49.3% | Beats 27% | D |
| 2.0 Diesel | 45.3% | Beats 31% | D |
| 2.0 Petrol | 51.9% | Beats 31% | D |
| 1.7 Petrol | 44.6% | Beats 24% | D |
| 1.4 Petrol | 53.5% | Beats 40% | C |
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.
Every MOT area
Share of tests failing on each area, against a typical car of the same age and mileage (black line).
Buying one or MOT due? Check these
- Brake lights 1.7× typical
Walk around with the lights on: bulb failures are the easiest MOT fails to avoid. - Exhaust system 1.5× typical
Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look for heavy corrosion underneath. - Headlight bulbs & units
Check dipped and main beam on both sides. - Headlight aim
Park facing a wall at night: both dipped beams should sit level and dip to the left. - Tyre damage & cracking
Look for cuts, bulges and cracking on both sidewalls of every tyre. - Tyre tread depth
Check every tyre, including the inner edge, has at least 3 mm of tread. Uneven wear can point to alignment or suspension problems.
Pass rate by mileage
First-time pass rate by mileage at the test.
Most common MOT failures
| Item | This car | Typical | vs typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sidelights | 7.4% | 5.6% | 1.3× |
| Brake lights | 7.4% | 4.4% | 1.7× |
| Prescribed areas | 5.8% | 0.7% | 8.0× |
| Drive shaft (CV) joints | 5.0% | 2.8% | 1.8× |
| Headlight bulbs & units | 4.7% | 4.1% | 1.1× |
| Headlight aim | 4.4% | 5.8% | 0.8× |
| Tyre damage & cracking | 4.3% | 3.8% | 1.1× |
| Exhaust system | 4.0% | 2.6% | 1.5× |
| Tyre tread depth | 4.0% | 3.5% | 1.1× |
| Windscreen washers | 3.7% | 3.2% | 1.1× |
Specific defects found
Tester wording for the most frequent failure items, per 1,000 tests.
| Defect | per 1,000 |
|---|---|
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 75.0 |
| Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 66.0 |
| The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 58.3 |
| A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 51.3 |
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 51.1 |
| A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 48.9 |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 44.4 |
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 39.9 |
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.
2010 Citroën Xsara2 engines58.4% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 Petrol | 58.7% | Beats 29% | D |
| 1.6 Diesel | 57.7% | Beats 35% | D |
2009 Citroën Xsara2 engines56.1% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 Petrol | 57.4% | Beats 31% | D |
| 1.6 Diesel | 53.9% | Beats 28% | D |
2008 Citroën Xsara2 engines51.4% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 Diesel | 50.4% | Beats 26% | D |
| 1.6 Petrol | 52.4% | Beats 23% | D |
2007 Citroën Xsara3 engines49.9% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 Petrol | 49.8% | Beats 21% | D |
| 1.6 Diesel | 49.2% | Beats 26% | D |
| 2.0 Petrol | 56.4% | Beats 38% | D |
2006 Citroën Xsara4 engines49.8% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 Petrol | 49.6% | Beats 26% | D |
| 1.6 Diesel | 48.9% | Beats 31% | D |
| 2.0 Petrol | 54.0% | Beats 35% | D |
| 2.0 Diesel | 46.5% | Beats 22% | D |
2005 Citroën Xsara5 engines45.2% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 Diesel | 45.3% | Beats 26% | D |
| 1.6 Petrol | 44.6% | Beats 18% | E |
| 1.6 Diesel | 44.7% | Beats 22% | D |
| 2.0 Petrol | 49.4% | Beats 25% | D |
| 1.7 Petrol | 45.5% | Beats 20% | D |
2004 Citroën Xsara6 engines46.3% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 Diesel | 45.8% | Beats 33% | D |
| 1.6 Petrol | 45.9% | Beats 27% | D |
| 1.6 Diesel | 43.6% | Beats 24% | D |
| 1.7 Petrol | 47.4% | Beats 32% | D |
| 2.0 Petrol | 48.2% | Beats 25% | D |
| 1.4 Petrol | 56.5% | Beats 50% | C |
2003 Citroën Xsara5 engines46.4% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 Diesel | 45.9% | Beats 34% | D |
| 1.6 Petrol | 46.0% | Beats 28% | D |
| 1.7 Petrol | 45.5% | Beats 29% | D |
| 2.0 Petrol | 47.2% | Beats 25% | D |
| 1.4 Petrol | 56.1% | Beats 53% | C |
2002 Citroën Xsara4 engines45.5% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 Diesel | 44.3% | Beats 30% | D |
| 1.6 Petrol | 45.8% | Beats 28% | D |
| 1.7 Petrol | 43.4% | Beats 23% | D |
| 1.4 Petrol | 53.7% | Beats 42% | C |
2001 Citroën Xsara4 engines45.0% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 Diesel | 44.4% | Beats 29% | D |
| 1.6 Petrol | 44.9% | Beats 25% | D |
| 1.7 Petrol | 41.4% | Beats 17% | E |
| 1.4 Petrol | 53.1% | Beats 39% | D |
2000 Citroën Xsara3 engines45.7% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 Petrol | 46.2% | Beats 24% | D |
| 1.4 Petrol | 45.2% | Beats 12% | E |
| 2.0 Diesel | 45.2% | Beats 29% | D |
FAQ
What is the Citroën Xsara MOT pass rate?
48.5% of MOT tests on the Citroën Xsara were passed first time, based on 472,726 tests between 2018 and 2026 of cars first registered 2000–2010. A typical car of the same age and mileage passes 54.8% of the time.
Is the Citroën Xsara reliable?
On MOT results it rates D (below average): it passes first time less often than a typical car of the same age and mileage and does better than 27% of cars on UK roads. MOT results cover safety and emissions items, not every kind of breakdown.
Which Citroën Xsara year is best?
Among years with enough data, the 2003 Xsara does best for its age and mileage: it beats 32% of cars on UK roads. The 2005 does worst: it beats 22%.
Which Citroën Xsara engine is best?
Across all years, the 2.0 Petrol does best: it beats 31% of cars on UK roads. The 1.7 Petrol does worst: it beats 24%.
What are the most common MOT failures on the Citroën Xsara?
The most common failure items are sidelights, brake lights, prescribed areas. Compared with similar cars, prescribed areas comes up 8.0× as often.