Diesel Citroen C3: MOT pass rate

64.9% of diesel Citroen C3s pass the MOT first time, measured across 67,325 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 86,113.

Diesel against the other Citroen C3 versions

Why the fuel type changes the number

Diesels carry DPFs, EGR valves and stricter smoke limits, so emissions and exhaust faults account for failures petrol cars never see.

On the Citroen C3 specifically, petrol is the strongest at 74.2%, and this diesel version sits 5.9 points below the 70.8% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The diesel Citroen C3 fails more often than the model average, so budget for the items that catch this fuel type and treat a fresh MOT as worth paying for. Buying a damaged one? run it through the analyzer, check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.

Mileage is part of the answer

The average diesel Citroen C3 had covered 86,113 miles at test, against 56,609 for the petrol. That is above average, the point where suspension bushes, drop links and exhaust corrosion start showing up as advisories before they become failures.

Fuel type and mileage are tangled together: diesels are usually bought by higher-mileage drivers, so some of any gap between fuels is the miles rather than the engine. The per-year figures on the Citroen C3 page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Most common MOT failures on a diesel Citroen C3

1. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 3% of tests (5.05x the national rate for this defect)
2. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 6.7% of tests (4.34x the national rate for this defect)
3. Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 5.3% of tests (3.89x the national rate for this defect)
4. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 3.1% of tests (3.86x the national rate for this defect)
5. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 4.8% of tests (3.65x the national rate for this defect)
6. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 3.4% of tests (3.37x the national rate for this defect)
7. A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps, 2.7% of tests (3.01x the national rate for this defect)
8. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 3% of tests (2.44x the national rate for this defect)
9. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 5.3% of tests (2.38x the national rate for this defect)
10. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 3.4% of tests (2.02x the national rate for this defect)

From 67,696 DVSA-tracked diesel Citroen C3 tests, 2024, split out from the Citroen C3's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 4.65% of these flagged defects as "dangerous", against 5.11% nationally. See which fuel type fails on the most dangerous defects nationally for how that compares across the whole fleet.

Most common MOT advisories on a diesel Citroen C3

Flagged but doesn't fail the car, a different list from the failures above.

1. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 6.8% of tests (4.95x the national rate for this defect), also fails
2. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 12.7% of tests (4.46x the national rate for this defect), also fails
3. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 3.8% of tests (2.83x the national rate for this defect), also fails
4. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 3.4% of tests (2.7x the national rate for this defect)
5. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 4.7% of tests (2.33x the national rate for this defect)
6. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 27.2% of tests (2.22x the national rate for this defect)
7. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 5.5% of tests (1.73x the national rate for this defect), also fails
8. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 9.3% of tests (1.67x the national rate for this defect)
9. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 18.3% of tests (1.37x the national rate for this defect)
10. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 32.7% of tests (1.23x the national rate for this defect)

From 67,696 DVSA-tracked diesel Citroen C3 tests, 2024.

Other Citroen C3 fuel types

• Petrol Citroen C3 - 74.2%

All Citroen C3 MOT data · Every model