Is the Citroen C1 reliable?

On MOT evidence the Citroen C1 is below average. It passes 68.7% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 184 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Citroen C1?

The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 12.5% of failed Citroen C1 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Citroen C1?

The most common advisory is "A tyre seriously damaged", noted on 23.4% of all Citroen C1 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Citroen C1 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 63,737 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Does a Citroen C1 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 88.4% of Citroen C1 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 55.2%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Citroen C1 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Citroen C1 cars tested, 99% are petrol, 1% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Citroen C1 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 162,679 recorded MOT tests of the Citroen C1, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Citroen C1 passes 68.7% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is below average, ranking it 184 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 162,679 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which appears in 12.5% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 63,737 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

68.7%national average72.3%unadjusted68.9%range covered98%rank184 of 262

The C1 is 3.6 percentage points below the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is below average. The unadjusted figure is 68.9%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Citroen C1 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements12.5%
5,009 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake12.5%
5,007 occurrencesBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained
3.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning11.0%
4,414 occurrencesLamp not working explained
4.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded10.7%
4,294 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
5.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired10.2%
4,102 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
6.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements9.1%
3,666 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
7.Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer7.5%
3,003 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
8.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen7.2%
2,890 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
9.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm7.1%
2,855 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
10.Exhaust system leaking or insecure6.7%
2,694 occurrencesExhaust leaking or insecure explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Citroen C1 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.A tyre seriously damaged23.4%
38,005 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements21.8%
35,533 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded18.2%
29,596 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
4.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn14.4%
23,405 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
5.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured13.6%
22,062 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn10.0%
16,266 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
7.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded7.2%
11,721 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
8.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened6.5%
10,618 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs88%

6–8 yrs82%

9–11 yrs75%

12–14 yrs64%

15+ yrs55%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The C1 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 63,737
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol99.5%
Diesel0.5%

Trim names grouped into this model (9)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

C1 AIR FEEL EDITION
C1 JCC +
C1 LIVE
C1 ORIGINS
C1 SENSE
C1 SHINE
C1 VT
C1 VTR
C1 VTR+

Check a specific Citroen C1

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Citroen models

Citroen C3 — 63.9% adjusted
Citroen Berlingo — 61.9% adjusted
Citroen C4 — 63.8% adjusted
Citroen DS3 — 51.9% adjusted
Citroen Dispatch — 62.0% adjusted
Citroen C3 Aircross — 84.6% unadjusted
All Citroen models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Renault Captur — 70.8% adjusted, ranked 162
Ford Transit Connect — 68.4% adjusted, ranked 192
Toyota Prius — 81.4% adjusted, ranked 45
Hyundai Tucson — 74.8% adjusted, ranked 115

Common questions

Is the Citroen C1 reliable?: On MOT evidence the Citroen C1 is below average. It passes 68.7% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 184 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Citroen C1?: The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 12.5% of failed Citroen C1 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Citroen C1?: The most common advisory is "A tyre seriously damaged", noted on 23.4% of all Citroen C1 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Citroen C1 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 63,737 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Does a Citroen C1 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 88.4% of Citroen C1 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 55.2%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Citroen C1 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Citroen C1 cars tested, 99% are petrol, 1% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.