Citroen C3 Aircross MOT failure rate and common faults
35,536 Citroen C3 Aircross cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 15.4% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 15.6% of the time, which makes the Citroen C3 Aircross about as likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
15.4%
failed first time
35,536 MOT tests in 2025
-1%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 15.6%
123 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
61.9
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 69.6
What fails on a Citroen C3 Aircross MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Citroen C3 Aircross MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts | 31.0 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 21.2 |
| Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn | Brakes | 18.5 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 17.3 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 15.7 |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 8.6 |
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 7.7 |
| Exhaust system: system insecure | Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts | 6.6 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 6.5 |
| Tyres: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure | Tyres | 6.0 |
Citroen C3 Aircross MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 6,553 | 7.9% | 11.4% | 20,200 |
| 2021 | 4,357 | 9.4% | 12.8% | 26,100 |
| 2020 | 4,536 | 13.0% | 14.1% | 31,700 |
| 2019 | 9,659 | 17.2% | 16.5% | 39,400 |
| 2018 | 9,511 | 21.9% | 19.1% | 44,900 |
| 2017 | 920 | 23.8% | 21.8% | 48,200 |
Advisories to look for in a Citroen C3 Aircross's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Citroen C3 Aircross, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened269.3
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge220.0
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing167.3
- Brake pads: wearing thin86.9
- Brake discs: worn, but not excessively71.2
- Exhaust system: mounting defective40.2
Checking a used Citroen C3 Aircross before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Citroen C3 Aircross fails more often than average on brakes, body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts and engine, emissions and leaks. Start there.
Brakes
Look through the wheel spokes at the discs for a deep lip or scoring, check the handbrake holds the car on a slope, and feel for a pull to one side when braking hard.
Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts
Turn the steering to full lock and look behind each front wheel: the rubber boots on the drive shafts should be whole, with no grease sprayed around. Then get down with a torch and check the exhaust hangers, sills, floor and subframes for rust.
Engine, emissions and leaks
Start the car from cold and watch the exhaust for smoke, look underneath for oil or fuel leaks, and make sure the engine warning light comes on with the ignition and goes out once the engine runs.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Citroen C3 Aircross cars tested: Petrol 94%, Diesel 6%. Average age at test 5.4 years, average recorded mileage 34,900.
Citroen C3 Aircross MOT questions
What is the Citroen C3 Aircross MOT failure rate?
15.4% of Citroen C3 Aircross cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 35,536 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 15.6% of the time, so the Citroen C3 Aircross was about as likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Citroen C3 Aircross MOT?
Brakes caused the most failure items, at 64 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded 31.0 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Citroen C3 Aircross year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2022 registrations did best: 7.9% failed against an average of 11.4% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Citroen C3 Aircross will pass?
No. These are averages across every Citroen C3 Aircross tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Citroen models
- Citroen C334.5% failed
- Citroen Berlingo40.6% failed
- Citroen C131.1% failed
- Citroen C439.6% failed
- Citroen DS348.2% failed
- Citroen Dispatch39.6% failed
Ranked close to the Citroen C3 Aircross
- Skoda Fabiarank 120
- Suzuki Altorank 121
- Hyundai i20rank 122
- Hyundai Konarank 124
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Citroen C3 Aircross cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.