How reliable is the Citroen C5 X compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Citroen C5 X, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 91.8% across 846 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Citroen C5 X?

The item recorded most often is "A tyre cords visible or damaged", which appears in 28.1% of failed Citroen C5 X 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 C5 X?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 23.5% of all Citroen C5 X tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Citroen C5 X usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 27,866 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.

Are most Citroen C5 X models petrol or diesel?

Of the Citroen C5 X cars tested, 68% are petrol, 32% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Citroen C5 X MOT pass rate & common failures

From 846 recorded MOT tests of the Citroen C5 X, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 846 MOT tests, 91.8% of Citroen C5 X tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Citroen C5 X fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre cords visible or damaged, which appears in 28.1% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 27,866 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

91.8%unadjusted, not comparable846 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the C5 X. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 846 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Citroen C5 X tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A tyre cords visible or damaged28.1%
16 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged19.3%
11 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm12.3%
7 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
4.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements8.8%
5 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
5.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen7.0%
4 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
6.Seat belt buckle missing, damaged or not functioning as intended7.0%
4 occurrencesSeat belt damaged or not working properly explained
7.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen7.0%
4 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.A tyre seriously damaged5.3%
3 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
9.Seat belt not functioning as intended or of an incorrect type3.5%
2 occurrencesSeat belt damaged or not working properly explained
10.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage3.5%
2 occurrencesShock absorber defective explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Citroen C5 X tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements23.5%
199 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured7.2%
61 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm5.3%
45 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
4.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements4.3%
36 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
5.Nail in tyre2.1%
18 tests
6.A tyre seriously damaged1.8%
15 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
7.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt1.5%
13 tests
8.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn1.4%
12 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained

What gets tested

The C5 X fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 27,866
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol67.7%
Hybrid32.3%

Trim names grouped into this model (5)

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

C5 X MAX PHEV AUTO
C5 X SENSE + PHEV AUTO
C5 X SENSE + PURETECH S/S AUTO
C5 X SHINE PHEV AUTO
C5 X SHINE PURETECH S/S AUTO

Check a specific Citroen C5 X

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 C1 — 68.7% adjusted
Citroen C4 — 63.8% adjusted
Citroen DS3 — 51.9% adjusted
Citroen Dispatch — 62.0% adjusted
All Citroen models

Common questions

How reliable is the Citroen C5 X compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Citroen C5 X, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 91.8% across 846 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Citroen C5 X?: The item recorded most often is "A tyre cords visible or damaged", which appears in 28.1% of failed Citroen C5 X 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 C5 X?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 23.5% of all Citroen C5 X tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Citroen C5 X usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 27,866 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.
Are most Citroen C5 X models petrol or diesel?: Of the Citroen C5 X cars tested, 68% are petrol, 32% are hybrid. 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. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

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.