2025 MOT results
Citroën C5 common problems
The most common reason a Citroën C5 fails its MOT is a split joint boot, on 14.6% of its 5,853 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 4 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a number plate lamp out at 12.6% of failures against 2.6% expected; a split joint boot at 14.6% of failures against 3.4% expected; worn suspension bushes at 6.1% of failures against 3.4% expected.
- Tests in 2025 26,431 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 22.1% 5,853 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 7.2% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 47.4% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Citroën C5 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Citroën C5 tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 14.6% |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 12.6% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 11.3% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 10.5% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 7.5% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.3% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 6.7% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 6.1% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.8% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.4% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 5.1% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Split joint boot
14.6% of failures 3.4% expected 4.3 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
-
Number plate lamp out
12.6% of failures 2.6% expected 4.8 times as often
The lamp over the rear number plate not working, so the plate cannot be read at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Worn brake pads
11.3% of failures 7.5% expected 1.5 times as often
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
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Tyre worn below the legal limit
10.5% of failures 9.2% expected about as expected
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Cut tyre
7.5% of failures 8.5% expected about as expected
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Sidelight out
7.3% of failures 6.4% expected about as expected
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Citroën C5, on 40.6% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 32.0%.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 40.6% |
| Tyres | 27.0% |
| Brakes | 22.8% |
| Suspension | 20.4% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 17.0% |
| Visibility | 12.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.9% |
| Steering | 5.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
47.4% of Citroën C5 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Citroën C5s, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 20.9% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 11.1% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 10.6% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 6.7% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.2% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 3.3% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 2.7% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 2.5% |
| Linkage ball joint has slight play Suspension | 2.2% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 2.0% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 1.6% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 1.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Citroën C5 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Citroën C5?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” is the most common: it appears on 14.6% of failed Citroën C5 tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 40.6% of failed tests.
How often does a Citroën C5 fail its MOT?
22.1% of Citroën C5 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 26,431 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 41 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Citroën C5 than on other cars?
Yes. “Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” appears on 12.6% of its failures against 2.6% for cars of the same age, and “Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 14.6% of its failures against 3.4% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Citroën C5 aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 26,431 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.