2008 Citroen Xsara: MOT pass rate and reliability
56.3% of 2008 Citroen Xsaras pass the MOT first time, measured across 2,663 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 100,620 miles.
How the 2008 compares
- Against all Citroen Xsaras (58.4%, 26,151 tests): -2.1 points
- Against all 2008 cars (64.7%): -8.4 points
- National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%
Every Citroen Xsara model year
Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2008 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Citroen Xsara:
| Year | Pass rate | Tests | Avg mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 57.1% | 238 | 108,986 |
| 2001 | 56% | 829 | 114,425 |
| 2002 | 60.3% | 1,326 | 111,489 |
| 2003 | 56.9% | 1,806 | 115,142 |
| 2004 | 59.4% | 2,759 | 112,790 |
| 2005 | 56.8% | 3,078 | 107,877 |
| 2006 | 59% | 5,067 | 101,003 |
| 2007 | 57.3% | 4,775 | 102,919 |
| 2008 | 56.3% | 2,663 | 100,620 |
| 2009 | 61.8% | 2,269 | 93,693 |
| 2010 | 62.6% | 1,185 | 92,392 |
What this means if you are buying a 2008 Xsara
The 2008 is a weaker year for this model, passing 2.1 points less often than the Citroen Xsara average. Some of that is simply age, so compare it against the 2008 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 an 18-year-old car fails on
A 2008 car is 18 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 above average and into the range where cambelts and water pumps are due if they have not already been done, so ask for the service history rather than take the mileage on trust. On a 2008 Citroen Xsara the average at test was 100,620 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 2010 at 62.6%, and the weakest in our data is 2001 at 56%. That 6.6 point spread across the model's life is why comparing a 2008 car against a newer one tells you very little.
Nearby model years
- 2005 Citroen Xsara - 56.8%
- 2006 Citroen Xsara - 59%
- 2007 Citroen Xsara - 57.3%
- 2009 Citroen Xsara - 61.8%
- 2010 Citroen Xsara - 62.6%