Citroen Saxo: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Citroen Saxo fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 15.6 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 3,657 individual Citroen Saxo tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 61.1% first-time pass rate means roughly 39 in every 100 Citroen Saxos presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Citroen Saxo tested had covered 74,969 miles and was built around 2001.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Citroen Saxo sits 15.6 points below the national average, ranked 1,935 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

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 Saxo 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 Saxos at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Citroen Saxo

1. Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 4.2% of tests (19.86x the national rate for this defect)
2. Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 3.7% of tests (13.78x the national rate for this defect)
3. Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle., 7.2% of tests (13.76x the national rate for this defect)
4. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 4% of tests (11.2x the national rate for this defect)
5. Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 5.2% of tests (10.18x the national rate for this defect)
6. 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, 9.5% of tests (10.05x the national rate for this defect)
7. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 5.5% of tests (7.46x the national rate for this defect)
8. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 5% of tests (4.97x the national rate for this defect)
9. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 5.5% of tests (3.61x the national rate for this defect)
10. Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 4.4% of tests (3.21x the national rate for this defect)

From 3,658 DVSA-tracked Citroen Saxo tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.65% of these flagged Citroen Saxo defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Citroen Saxo

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 Saxo before it actually fails on it.

1. 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, 10.1% of tests (6.68x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 7.1% of tests (5.15x the national rate for this advisory)
3. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 5.9% of tests (4.77x the national rate for this advisory)
4. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 9.6% of tests (3.63x the national rate for this advisory)
5. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 10.1% of tests (3.55x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
6. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 17.1% of tests (3.08x the national rate for this advisory)
7. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 12.7% of tests (2.04x the national rate for this advisory)
8. A tyre seriously damaged, 24.4% of tests (1.58x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 13.8% of tests
10. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 12.6% of tests

From 3,658 DVSA-tracked Citroen Saxo tests, 2024.

Citroen Saxo pass rate by model year

From its 2000 to its 2003 model year, the Citroen Saxo's first-time pass rate has risen 6.6 points, from 57% to 63.6%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Citroen Saxo year:

• 2000 Citroen Saxo - 57% first-time pass, 484 tests
• 2001 Citroen Saxo - 63.6% first-time pass, 924 tests
• 2002 Citroen Saxo - 61.2% first-time pass, 941 tests
• 2003 Citroen Saxo - 63.6% first-time pass, 829 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 C3 Aircross - 86.4%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Renault Megane - 61.1%
• Renault Kangoo - 61.1%
• Vauxhall Vectra - 61.1%
• Dodge Journey - 61.1%
• Fiat Doblo Cargo - 61%
• Chrysler Delta - 60.9%

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