At a Glance
The Citroen C5 has 19 identified common problems across 2 generations, with the Mk1 (2001-2008) being the most affected generation and brakes the most common problem category. Based on 669K MOT tests from DVSA data.
Problems are patterns in the DVSA data that occur significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average — confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read our DVSA MOT data methodology →
Below: generation-by-generation comparison of Citroen C5 common problems, MOT failure types, and pass-rate data drawn from DVSA records. Click any generation to see fuel- and engine-specific fault patterns, mileage-banded repair guidance, and the most common MOT failures testers record.
MOT Tests & Failures by Generation
Citroen C5 generations by MOT tests, failures, and identified problems from DVSA data
Hover over each bar for a full breakdown. Tap any bar to view that generation's problems.
Showing total MOT tests, failures, and known problems per make. Hover over each bar for a full breakdown.
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Browse Citroen C5 Generations
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Most Common Citroen C5 MOT Failures
Every reason Citroen C5 vehicles fail their MOT, ranked by frequency. Select an individual year to see only that year’s failures, or stay on ‘All time’ for the combined picture across our 20 years of DVSA data. Scroll inside the table for the full list.
| # | Failure | % of failures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyre tread depth below limit | 11.14% |
| 2 | Suspension joint or bush worn | 9.91% |
| 3 | Stop lamp not working | 6.85% |
| 4 | Number plate lamp not working | 6.75% |
| 5 | Wiper blades deteriorated | 5.69% |
| 6 | Driveshaft fault | 5.51% |
| 7 | Brake pads or linings worn | 4.75% |
| 8 | Windscreen washer not working | 4.61% |
| 9 | Tyre condition | 4.46% |
| 10 | Front lamp not working | 4.41% |
| 11 | Brake disc or drum worn | 2.85% |
| 12 | Headlamp aim defect | 2.77% |
| 13 | Position lamp not working | 2.57% |
| 14 | Exhaust system fault | 2.57% |
| 15 | Track rod end worn | 2.21% |
| 16 | Brake hydraulic component worn | 1.50% |
| 17 | Shock absorber worn or leaking | 1.35% |
| 18 | Parking brake performance below minimum | 1.22% |
| 19 | Indicator fault | 1.22% |
| 20 | Rear lamp not working | 1.15% |
| 21 | Brake performance below minimum | 1.10% |
| 22 | Catalytic converter efficiency low | 1.04% |
| 23 | Front suspension joint worn | 1.03% |
| 24 | Headlamp fault | 1.01% |
| 25 | Parking brake condition | 0.90% |
| 26 | Windscreen damage affecting view | 0.87% |
| 27 | Compression ignition emissions above threshold | 0.68% |
| 28 | Steering rack fault | 0.67% |
| 29 | Seat belt condition | 0.50% |
| 30 | ABS fault | 0.49% |
| 31 | Power steering pipe or hose leaking | 0.47% |
| 32 | Ball joint dust cover split | 0.46% |
| 33 | Fog lamp not working | 0.46% |
| 34 | Mirror damaged or missing | 0.45% |
| 35 | Coil spring broken or corroded | 0.36% |
| 36 | Airbag warning light on | 0.30% |
| 37 | Horn not working | 0.30% |
| 38 | Spark ignition emissions above threshold | 0.27% |
| 39 | Brake pedal movement restricted | 0.26% |
| 40 | Battery loose or leaking | 0.25% |
| 41 | Electronic stability control fault | 0.24% |
| 42 | Suspension linkage fault | 0.23% |
| 43 | Rear suspension fault | 0.22% |
| 44 | Tyre size or type not matched | 0.22% |
| 45 | Rigid brake pipe corroded or damaged | 0.20% |
| 46 | Brake caliper fault | 0.20% |
| 47 | Brake fluid leak | 0.18% |
| 48 | Electrical switch fault | 0.18% |
| 49 | Handbrake cable fault | 0.15% |
| 50 | Body corrosion or damage | 0.14% |
| 51 | Brake pedal fault | 0.12% |
| 52 | Front suspension fault | 0.12% |
| 53 | Wheel bearing worn | 0.11% |
| 54 | Rear fog lamp not working | 0.10% |
| 55 | Fuel cap damaged or missing | 0.10% |
| 56 | Tyre valve stem damaged | 0.10% |
| 57 | Fuel tank corroded or leaking | 0.08% |
| 58 | Brake cable, rod, lever or linkage fault | 0.08% |
| 59 | Electrical wiring fault | 0.08% |
| 60 | Flexible brake hose damaged | 0.07% |
| 61 | Propshaft fault | 0.06% |
| 62 | Suspension unit fault | 0.06% |
| 63 | Engine oil leak | 0.06% |
| 64 | Body security fault | 0.06% |
| 65 | Brake lever fault | 0.06% |
| 66 | Steering column fault | 0.05% |
| 67 | Rear reflector damaged or missing | 0.05% |
| 68 | Steering free play excessive | 0.05% |
| 69 | Undertray damaged or missing | 0.05% |
| 70 | Hydraulic fluid leak | 0.05% |
| 71 | Steering operation fault | 0.05% |
| 72 | Bonnet catch or hinge fault | 0.04% |
| 73 | Steering wheel damaged or insecure | 0.04% |
| 74 | Bumper damaged or insecure | 0.04% |
| 75 | Suspension mounting corroded | 0.04% |
| 76 | Handbrake lever fault | 0.04% |
| 77 | Dashboard warning lamp fault | 0.04% |
| 78 | Steering arm worn | 0.04% |
| 79 | Brake fluid level low or contaminated | 0.04% |
| 80 | Driver seat fault | 0.04% |
| 81 | Power steering ram fault | 0.03% |
| 82 | Fuel pipe corroded or damaged | 0.03% |
| 83 | Anti-roll bar worn or corroded | 0.03% |
| 84 | Passenger seat fault | 0.03% |
| 85 | Drag link end worn | 0.03% |
| 86 | Driver airbag fault | 0.03% |
| 87 | Speedometer fault | 0.03% |
| 88 | Suspension arm worn or corroded | 0.03% |
| 89 | Electronic parking brake fault | 0.02% |
| 90 | Additional braking device fault | 0.02% |
| 91 | Front passenger door fault | 0.02% |
| 92 | Towbar fault | 0.02% |
| 93 | Brake fluid warning light on | 0.02% |
| 94 | Engine mounting worn or broken | 0.02% |
| 95 | Tyre pressure monitoring system fault | 0.02% |
| 96 | Power steering pump fault | 0.02% |
| 97 | MacPherson strut worn | 0.02% |
| 98 | Hydraulic suspension accumulator fault | 0.02% |
| 99 | Boot lid damaged or insecure | 0.02% |
| 100 | Driver door fault | 0.02% |
| 101 | Steering lock fault | 0.02% |
| 102 | Exhaust leak | 0.02% |
| 103 | Brake back plate corroded or damaged | 0.01% |
| 104 | Tie bar or rod worn or corroded | 0.01% |
| 105 | Suspension air bellows damaged | 0.01% |
| 106 | CV joint worn | 0.01% |
| 107 | Headlamp levelling device fault | 0.01% |
| 108 | Bonded suspension condition | 0.01% |
| 109 | Air suspension levelling valve fault | <0.01% |
| 110 | Brake fluid reservoir fault | <0.01% |
| 111 | King pin or swivel pin worn | <0.01% |
| 112 | Chassis condition | <0.01% |
| 113 | Front fog lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 114 | Headlamp washer not working | <0.01% |
| 115 | Fuel hose damaged or leaking | <0.01% |
| 116 | Suspension retaining or locking device fault | <0.01% |
| 117 | Reversing lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 118 | Steering drive system fault | <0.01% |
| 119 | Tailgate damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 120 | Steering coupling worn | <0.01% |
| 121 | Steering box fault | <0.01% |
| 122 | Window damaged or won't operate | <0.01% |
| 123 | Vehicle structure corrosion | <0.01% |
| 124 | Electronic braking system fault | <0.01% |
| 125 | Transmission oil leak | <0.01% |
| 126 | Subframe corrosion or damage | <0.01% |
| 127 | Electric power steering fault | <0.01% |
| 128 | Brake relay lever fault | <0.01% |
| 129 | Hydraulic brake cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 130 | Mirror or camera fault | <0.01% |
| 131 | Passenger airbag fault | <0.01% |
| 132 | Brake air or vacuum system fault | <0.01% |
| 133 | Axle beam corroded or cracked | <0.01% |
| 134 | Exhaust emissions above threshold (non-catalyst) | <0.01% |
| 135 | Radius arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 136 | Steering shaft fault | <0.01% |
| 137 | Stub axle worn | <0.01% |
| 138 | Brake valve fault | <0.01% |
| 139 | Exhaust heat shield or sound insulation damaged | <0.01% |
| 140 | Main beam warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 141 | Trailing arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 142 | Brake wheel cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 143 | Dip switch fault | <0.01% |
| 144 | Outline marker lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 145 | Passenger compartment corrosion | <0.01% |
| 146 | Rear fog lamp warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 147 | Steering intermediate drop arm worn | <0.01% |
| 148 | Indicator warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 149 | Subframe mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 150 | Suspension rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 151 | Access panel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 152 | Brake master cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 153 | Daytime running lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 154 | Full power hydraulic brake fault | <0.01% |
| 155 | Halfshaft fault | <0.01% |
| 156 | Spare wheel fault | <0.01% |
| 157 | Steering damper fault | <0.01% |
| 158 | Brake pressure or vacuum buildup insufficient | <0.01% |
| 159 | Hand-operated brake valve condition | <0.01% |
| 160 | Suspension linkage attachment bracket or mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 161 | Seat belt or padding damaged | <0.01% |
| 162 | Seat belt pre-tensioner fault | <0.01% |
| 163 | Semaphore indicator fault | <0.01% |
| 164 | Universal joint worn | <0.01% |
| 165 | Wheel hub fault | <0.01% |
| 166 | Axle corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 167 | Brake clevis joint worn | <0.01% |
| 168 | Brake slack adjuster fault | <0.01% |
| 169 | Handbrake mechanism or mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 170 | Hazard warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 171 | Load sensing valve fault | <0.01% |
| 172 | Reversing lamp switch fault | <0.01% |
| 173 | Seat belt anchorage fault | <0.01% |
| 174 | Suspension coupling worn | <0.01% |
| 175 | Torque or reaction arm worn | <0.01% |
| 176 | Torsion bar worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 177 | Transmission drive belt fault | <0.01% |
| 178 | Speed limiter fault | <0.01% |
| 179 | Air brake cylinder or actuator fault | <0.01% |
| 180 | Brake stationary pin worn | <0.01% |
| 181 | Panhard rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 182 | Spring mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 183 | Steering lock stop fault | <0.01% |
| 184 | Vehicle floor corroded | <0.01% |
Showing all 184 reasons — scroll inside the table for the full list.
Citroen C5 MOT Failures by Category
Total MOT failure occurrences for the Citroen C5, grouped by category. Same data as the failures table above — just sliced by category instead of fault title. Hover a slice for the top failures in each category.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common Citroen C5 problems?
Based on analysis of 669K Citroen C5 MOT tests from DVSA data, we have 19 identified common problems across 2 generations. The most frequently flagged issue is "Number plate lamp not working". Brakes is the most common problem category.
Which Citroen C5 generation has the most problems?
The Citroen C5 Mk1 (2001-2008) (2001–2008) has the highest number of identified common problems (30). Click the generation card above for the full breakdown.
How is this data calculated?
We analyse anonymised DVSA MOT test records under the Open Government Licence. An issue is classified as a "Common Problem" when it occurs significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average, confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read the full methodology page for details.
Can I report a problem with my Citroen C5?
Yes — use the "Tell Us About Your Problem" form on this page. Your report helps other Citroen C5 owners spot problems early. All submissions are reviewed before being added to the public database.
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