Citroen C3 Aircross: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Citroen C3 Aircross passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 9.7 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 25,091 individual Citroen C3 Aircross tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 86.4% first-time pass rate means roughly 14 in every 100 Citroen C3 Aircross presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Citroen C3 Aircross tested had covered 33,819 miles and was built around 2019.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Citroen C3 Aircross sits 9.7 points above the national average, ranked 1,147 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Citroen C3 Aircross rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Citroen C3 Aircross at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Citroen C3 Aircross

1. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 2.3% of tests (2.9x the national rate for this defect)
2. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 0.8% of tests (2.49x the national rate for this defect)
3. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.8% of tests (1.86x the national rate for this defect)
4. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 1.3% of tests (1.28x the national rate for this defect)
5. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 2.7% of tests (1.24x the national rate for this defect)
6. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 0.4% of tests (1.19x the national rate for this defect)
7. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.3% of tests
8. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.1% of tests
9. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 0.9% of tests
10. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 0.6% of tests

From 25,064 DVSA-tracked Citroen C3 Aircross tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.7% of these flagged Citroen C3 Aircross defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Citroen C3 Aircross

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Citroen C3 Aircross before it actually fails on it.

1. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 7.6% of tests (2.4x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 29.2% of tests (2.38x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 5.9% of tests (2.08x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. A tyre seriously damaged, 23.4% of tests (1.52x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 22.6% of tests, also fails
6. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 10.1% of tests, also fails
7. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 1.9% of tests, also fails
8. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 1.6% of tests
9. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 1.3% of tests
10. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 1% of tests, also fails

From 25,064 DVSA-tracked Citroen C3 Aircross tests, 2024.

Citroen C3 Aircross pass rate by model year

From its 2017 to its 2021 model year, the Citroen C3 Aircross's first-time pass rate has risen 7.6 points, from 82.6% to 90.2%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Citroen C3 Aircross year:

• 2017 Citroen C3 Aircross - 82.6% first-time pass, 927 tests
• 2018 Citroen C3 Aircross - 83.8% first-time pass, 9,586 tests
• 2019 Citroen C3 Aircross - 88% first-time pass, 9,565 tests
• 2020 Citroen C3 Aircross - 90.9% first-time pass, 4,413 tests
• 2021 Citroen C3 Aircross - 90.2% first-time pass, 498 tests

Citroen C3 Aircross by fuel type

The Citroen C3 Aircross's two most-tested fuel types split by 3.7 points: petrol passes first time 87% of the time (23,167 tests) against 83.3% for diesel (1,826 tests).

• Petrol Citroen C3 Aircross - 87% first-time pass, 23,167 tests
• Diesel Citroen C3 Aircross - 83.3% first-time pass, 1,826 tests

Other Citroen models

• Citroen C3 - 70.4%
• Citroen Berlingo - 68.3%
• Citroen C1 - 75.1%
• Citroen C4 - 66%
• Citroen Ds3 - 60.4%
• Citroen Dispatch - 66.2%
• Citroen Xsara - 58%
• Citroen C4 Cactus - 79.2%

Models with a similar pass rate

• BMW 320i Sport Auto - 86.5%
• Kia Ceed 2 Crdi Isg Mhev - 86.5%
• Porsche Cayenne - 86.4%
• MINI Paceman - 86.4%
• Peugeot 2008 Allure Puretech S/S - 86.4%
• Mercedes-Benz Cla 220 Amg Line Premium D A - 86.4%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate