2004 Citroen C5: MOT pass rate and reliability

64.9% of 2004 Citroen C5s pass the MOT first time, measured across 353 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 115,596 miles.

How the 2004 compares

  • Against all Citroen C5s (79.2%, 20,479 tests): -14.3 points
  • Against all 2004 cars (64%): +0.9 points
  • National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%

Every Citroen C5 model year

Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2004 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Citroen C5:

Year Pass rate Tests Avg mileage
2002 60.7% 239 125,791
2003 64.3% 291 122,538
2004 64.9% 353 115,596
2005 62% 297 117,920
2006 64.6% 421 119,438
2007 60.3% 426 117,404
2008 63.2% 1,154 121,229
2009 63.5% 1,723 119,861
2010 64.4% 1,164 118,600
2011 67.8% 574 113,182
2012 71.5% 372 107,449
2013 70.9% 361 96,216
2014 73% 237 85,036
2019 87% 6,617 37,268
2020 89.3% 4,984 30,797
2021 90.6% 858 26,239

What this means if you are buying a 2004 C5

The 2004 is a weaker year for this model, passing 14.3 points less often than the Citroen C5 average. Some of that is simply age, so compare it against the 2004 figure for all cars above rather than against newer examples. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.

What a 22-year-old car fails on

A 2004 car is 22 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:

  • Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
  • Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
  • Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
  • Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
  • Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
  • Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested

That is high mileage, so timing belts, clutches, suspension bushes and corrosion are the items worth budgeting for rather than the MOT itself. On a 2004 Citroen C5 the average at test was 115,596 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.

The strongest year for this model is 2021 at 90.6%, and the weakest in our data is 2007 at 60.3%. That 30.3 point spread across the model's life is why comparing a 2004 car against a newer one tells you very little.

Nearby model years

All Citroen C5 MOT data · Every model