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1997 Citroen Xsara — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age

29 years
Current Age
46.6%
Latest Pass Rate
4,023
Total Tests (All Years)
109,697 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 20

This car: 46.6%
Average: 56.6%

⚠️ 10.0% below average (6824 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1997 Citroen Xsara as it ages.

12 yrs45.9%
13 yrs40.6%
14 yrs41.1%
15 yrs42.3%
16 yrs36.5%
17 yrs38.9%
18 yrs45.3%
19 yrs50.0%
20 yrs46.6%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 12 to 20 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
12 yrs45.9%1,103
13 yrs40.6%925
14 yrs41.1%722
15 yrs42.3%482
16 yrs36.5%307
17 yrs38.9%203
18 yrs45.3%137
19 yrs50.0%86
20 yrs46.6%58

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1997 Citroen Xsara pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 9 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2017 (20 yrs)46.6%58
2016 (19 yrs)50%86
2015 (18 yrs)45.3%137
2014 (17 yrs)38.9%203
2013 (16 yrs)36.5%307
2012 (15 yrs)42.3%482
2011 (14 yrs)41.1%722
2010 (13 yrs)40.6%925
2009 (12 yrs)45.9%1,103

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
45.9%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 1,103Avg Mileage 96,095Top Failure Brakes — 35.7%
2010High Fail Rate
40.6%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 925Avg Mileage 100,952Top Failure Brakes — 40.2%
2011High Fail Rate
41.1%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 722Avg Mileage 102,831Top Failure Brakes — 36.7%
2012High Fail Rate
42.3%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 482Avg Mileage 103,553Top Failure Brakes — 35.1%
2013High Fail Rate
36.5%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 307Avg Mileage 104,974Top Failure Brakes — 100.7%
2014High Fail Rate
38.9%
Age (yrs) 17Tests 203Avg Mileage 105,970Top Failure Brakes — 94.1%
2015High Fail Rate
45.3%
Age (yrs) 18Tests 137Avg Mileage 104,607Top Failure Brakes — 70.1%
2016High Fail Rate
50.0%
Age (yrs) 19Tests 86Avg Mileage 109,813Top Failure Brakes — 75.6%
2017High Fail Rate
46.6%
Age (yrs) 20Tests 58Avg Mileage 109,697Top Failure Brakes — 124.1%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1997 Citroen Xsara, with age trends.

Brakes
68.0%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
46.9%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
34.4%
↑ Increases with age
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions
29.4%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
24.3%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes35.7% (12 yrs)124.1% (20 yrs)
+88.4%
🔴 ↑
Suspension21.1% (12 yrs)86.2% (20 yrs)
+65.1%
🔴 ↑
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions19.5% (12 yrs)29.3% (20 yrs)
+9.8%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment26.9% (12 yrs)36.2% (20 yrs)
+9.3%
🔴 ↑
Tyres17.3% (12 yrs)20.7% (20 yrs)
+3.4%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Citroen Xsara page →

About This Data

This page shows how Citroen Xsara cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 4,023 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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