Diesel Renault Clio: MOT pass rate

60.5% of diesel Renault Clios pass the MOT first time, measured across 65,901 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 85,391.

Diesel against the other Renault Clio 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 Renault Clio specifically, petrol is the strongest at 62.3%, and this diesel version sits 1.4 points below the 61.9% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The diesel Renault Clio 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 Renault Clio had covered 85,391 miles at test, against 70,631 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 Renault Clio page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Most common MOT failures on a diesel Renault Clio

1. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 9.3% of tests (4.1x the national rate for this defect)
2. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 5.2% of tests (3.97x the national rate for this defect)
3. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 3.7% of tests (3.57x the national rate for this defect)
4. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 5.2% of tests (3.37x the national rate for this defect)
5. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 3.1% of tests (2.94x the national rate for this defect)
6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 14.7% of tests (2.92x the national rate for this defect)
7. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 5% of tests (2.12x the national rate for this defect)
8. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 4.7% of tests (2.1x the national rate for this defect)
9. Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.9% of tests (2.1x the national rate for this defect)
10. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 3.5% of tests (2.09x the national rate for this defect)

From 66,193 DVSA-tracked diesel Renault Clio tests, 2024, split out from the Renault Clio's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 5.76% 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 Renault Clio

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

1. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 5.8% of tests (5.48x the national rate for this defect)
2. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 3.4% of tests (2.54x the national rate for this defect), also fails
3. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 15.7% of tests (2.53x the national rate for this defect), also fails
4. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 4.8% of tests (2.38x the national rate for this defect), also fails
5. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 15.1% of tests (1.24x the national rate for this defect)
6. A tyre seriously damaged, 18.6% of tests (1.21x the national rate for this defect)
7. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 31.4% of tests (1.18x the national rate for this defect)
8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 12.2% of tests, also fails
9. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 6.3% of tests
10. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 5.2% of tests, also fails

From 66,193 DVSA-tracked diesel Renault Clio tests, 2024.

Other Renault Clio fuel types

• Petrol Renault Clio - 62.3%

All Renault Clio MOT data · Every model