The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Citroen Xsara common problems

What fails on the Citroen Xsara at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 19,396 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Citroen Xsara's most common MOT problems are bulbs and lamps, suspension bushes, tyres, recorded in 50.9%, 34.1% and 23.1% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2009 cars pass most often (53.9%) and 2007 cars least (49.7%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.

A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every Citroen Xsara that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 19,396 cars.

By component

What wears out on a Xsara

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Citroen Xsara tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.

  1. 1.Bulbs and lamps

    50.9% of failed tests

    Filament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.

    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained15.2%
    • “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained12.9%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained6.4%
    • “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” — explained4.6%

    Across all cars, bulbs and lamps failures climb 15-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long bulbs and lamps last

  2. 2.Suspension bushes

    34.1% of failed tests

    Rubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.

    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained8.3%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained8.3%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained7.2%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained4.7%

    Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last

  3. 3.Tyres

    23.1% of failed tests

    Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.

    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained9.5%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained5.8%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained4.5%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained3.3%

    Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last

  4. 4.Seat belts

    20.9% of failed tests

    Webbing frays and buckles stick; a corroded anchorage is structural and fails as such.

    • “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” — explained20.9%

  5. 5.Body and structure

    18.8% of failed tests

    Structural corrosion within 30 cm of a seat belt, suspension or steering mounting fails; it is a disease of age, salt and wet storage.

    • “Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced” — explained11.9%
    • “Body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point” — explained4.1%
    • “Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced” — explained2.9%

  6. 6.Driveshaft gaiters

    15.8% of failed tests

    The rubber boot over each CV joint splits with age and flexing, then throws grease and lets grit destroy the joint.

    • “A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained15.8%

    Across all cars, driveshaft gaiters failures climb 21-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long driveshaft gaiters last

  7. 7.Headlamp aim

    13.7% of failed tests

    Aim drifts with sagging suspension, a knocked lamp or a botched bulb change; adjustment, not a part.

    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained13.7%

  8. 8.Suspension arms and mountings

    12.3% of failed tests

    Arms bend on impact and mountings corrode into the body; a corroded mounting is a structural item and fails as one.

    • “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 repaired” — explained12.3%

By registration year

Xsara problems by year

MOT pass rate for Citroen Xsara cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. No single step here is large enough to point at a generation change.

200352%
200451%−1.4
200550%−0.6
200652%+1.7
200750%−2.2
200850%+0.5
200954%+3.7

Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.

Before it fails

What testers warn Xsara owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Citroen Xsara tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the Xsara file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Citroen Xsara?
Going by what fails the MOT, bulbs and lamps (recorded in 50.9% of failed tests), suspension bushes (recorded in 34.1% of failed tests), and tyres (recorded in 23.1% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 19,396 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Citroen Xsara year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Citroen Xsara cars registered in 2009 do best at 53.9% and 2007 cars do worst at 49.7%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar.
Is the Citroen Xsara reliable?
The Citroen Xsara passes 51.2% of MOTs unadjusted; its fleet is too narrow in age or mileage for a fair national comparison. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.
What should I check when buying a used Citroen Xsara?
Start with what fails most: bulbs and lamps, suspension bushes, tyres. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.

Analysis built from DVSA data of