Citroen Xsara Picasso MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 1,844,566 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 45.3%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Citroen Xsara Picasso MOT Reliability Overview
The Citroen Xsara Picasso is one of the most widely tested vehicles in the UK, with 1,844,566 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 12 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 54.7% and a failure rate of 45.3%, which is below the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Citroen Xsara Picasso earns a "Poor" reliability rating. The average Citroen Xsara Picasso presents for MOT with approximately 81,218 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 2010 models achieve the highest pass rate at 74.5%, while 2000 models have the lowest at 42.8%. This 31.7 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Citroen Xsara Picasso is Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment, affecting 41.0% of all tests. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. The second most common issue is Suspension at 26.2%. Brakes rounds out the top three at 23.1%. Together, these top 3 failure categories account for a significant portion of all MOT failures for this model.
Top failures across all manufacture years combined. Individual year pages may show different top failures.
What Fails Most
Best Year to Buy
Based on MOT data, 2010 models have the highest pass rate at 69.0%.
Based on 2024 MOT test results only — the most recent data available. "Built" = year of manufacture. Cars need their first MOT at 3 years old, so the newest cars shown are from ~3 years ago.
Bar chart showing pass rate by manufacture year from 2000 to 2010
📈 How Each Vintage Ages
Tracking how each manufacture year's MOT pass rate changes as the car ages. Showing 11 vintages — click year chips to highlight.
Multi-line chart showing how different Citroen Xsara Picasso vintages degrade over time, from age 2 to 20 years.
Only vintages with 100+ tests in at least 3 different test years are shown. Fleet average is the UK-wide pass rate for all cars at each age.
📉 How Age Affects Reliability
MOT failure rate by vehicle age for the Citroen Xsara Picasso. The dashed red line marks when the manufacturer warranty typically expires (3 years).
Line chart showing MOT failure rate by vehicle age from 3 to 18 years, with warranty expiry marked at 3 years.
💡 What does the warranty cliff mean?
The Citroen Xsara Picasso sees a significant jump in MOT failures after the warranty period. Failure rate increases by 76% once warranty cover ends. Budget for increased maintenance costs from year 4 onwards. Peak failure occurs at age 17 (60.7% fail rate).
Note: pass rates may improve for very old vehicles due to survivorship bias — only well-maintained cars remain on the road.
* High Fail Rate badge indicates an MOT pass rate below 65% (failure rate above 35%).
What Fails on This Car?
Click a category to see specific failure items.
View as table
| Rank | Failure Category | Rate (%) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment | 51.1% | 941,990 |
| 2 | Suspension | 29.5% | 544,780 |
| 3 | Tyres | 27.7% | 511,784 |
| 4 | Brakes | 26.8% | 494,487 |
| 5 | Exhaust, Fuel And Emissions | 16.0% | 295,657 |
| 6 | Driver's View Of The Road | 11.7% | 215,149 |
| 7 | Steering | 7.3% | 135,250 |
| 8 | Seat Belts And Supplementary Restraint Systems | 6.4% | 118,103 |
| 9 | Body, Structure And General Items | 3.0% | 55,316 |
| 10 | Registration Plates And Vin | 1.8% | 32,734 |
| 11 | Non-component Advisories | 1.3% | 24,355 |
| 12 | Items Not Tested | 0.7% | 12,318 |
| 13 | Road Wheels | 0.3% | 5,226 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 81,218 miFor every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.
View as table
| Category | Rate / 10K mi | Raw % | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamps & Electrical | 6.29 | 51.1% | 941,990 |
| Suspension | 3.64 | 29.5% | 544,780 |
| Tyres | 3.42 | 27.7% | 511,784 |
| Brakes | 3.30 | 26.8% | 494,487 |
| Emissions & Exhaust | 1.97 | 16.0% | 295,657 |
| Visibility | 1.44 | 11.7% | 215,149 |
| Steering | 0.90 | 7.3% | 135,250 |
| Seat Belts | 0.79 | 6.4% | 118,103 |
| Body & Structure | 0.37 | 3.0% | 55,316 |
| Registration Plates and VIN | 0.22 | 1.8% | 32,734 |
| Non-component advisories | 0.16 | 1.3% | 24,355 |
| Items Not Tested | 0.08 | 0.7% | 12,318 |
| Wheels | 0.03 | 0.3% | 5,226 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Citroen Xsara Picasso has 81,218 miles when tested for MOT.
📊 Mileage-Adjusted Failure Rate
How often this car fails MOT relative to how much it's driven — a fairer comparison than raw pass rate.
The Citroen Xsara Picasso has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 5.58% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is worse than average.
About Citroen Xsara Picasso MOT Data
The Citroen Xsara Picasso is one of the most widely tested vehicles in the UK, with 1,844,566 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 12 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 54.7% and a failure rate of 45.3%, which is below the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Citroen Xsara Picasso owners, these results suggest above-average failure risk — thorough pre-MOT checks are recommended. Focus your pre-MOT checks on lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and suspension for the best chance of a first-time pass. Use our detailed year-by-year breakdown and failure analysis below to understand how your specific Xsara Picasso is likely to perform.
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 41.0% of failures
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment issues account for 41.0% of MOT failures on the Citroen Xsara Picasso. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: £5–50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.
Suspension — 26.2% of failures
Suspension issues account for 26.2% of MOT failures on the Citroen Xsara Picasso. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. Typical repair costs: £200–500. Pre-MOT check: Look for uneven tyre wear, listen for clunking over bumps, and check if the car pulls to one side. A bouncy ride suggests worn shock absorbers. Visually inspect coil springs for cracks.
Brakes — 23.1% of failures
Brakes issues account for 23.1% of MOT failures on the Citroen Xsara Picasso. Brake-related failures include worn brake pads, corroded brake discs, leaking brake lines, and faulty brake servos. These are safety-critical components — any brake deficiency will result in an MOT fail. Typical repair costs: £150–400. Pre-MOT check: Listen for squealing or grinding noises. Check brake pedal feel — if it feels spongy or goes to the floor, have the system inspected immediately. Look at brake pad thickness through the wheel spokes (minimum 3mm).
Compare Citroen Xsara Picasso
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Citroen Xsara Picasso?
Based on 1,844,566 MOT tests in our database, the Citroen Xsara Picasso has an overall pass rate of 54.7% (45.3% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Citroen Xsara Picasso?
The top 3 reasons a Citroen Xsara Picasso fails its MOT are: 1. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (41.0%), 2. Suspension (26.2%), 3. Brakes (23.1%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Citroen Xsara Picasso reliable?
With a 45.3% MOT failure rate, the Xsara Picasso is less reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Citroen Xsara Picasso?
Based on failure data, focus on: Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (41.0%); Suspension (26.2%); Brakes (23.1%). These are the areas most likely to cause a fail. Also check all lights, tyres (minimum 1.6mm tread), and windscreen condition — these are quick wins that apply to all cars.
Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.