At a Glance
The Citroen Xantia has 49 identified common problems across 1 generation, with the Xantia (1993-2001) being the most affected generation and brakes the most common problem category. Based on 340K 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 Xantia 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 Xantia 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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Most Common Citroen Xantia MOT Failures
Every reason Citroen Xantia 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 | Suspension joint or bush worn | 11.92% |
| 2 | Tyre tread depth below limit | 11.86% |
| 3 | Exhaust system fault | 7.35% |
| 4 | Wiper blades deteriorated | 5.50% |
| 5 | Tyre condition | 5.16% |
| 6 | Brake hydraulic component worn | 5.04% |
| 7 | Brake disc or drum worn | 4.96% |
| 8 | Stop lamp not working | 4.58% |
| 9 | Number plate lamp not working | 4.09% |
| 10 | Headlamp aim defect | 4.05% |
| 11 | Catalytic converter efficiency low | 3.25% |
| 12 | Front lamp not working | 3.06% |
| 13 | Track rod end worn | 3.06% |
| 14 | Windscreen washer not working | 2.78% |
| 15 | Brake pads or linings worn | 2.35% |
| 16 | Driveshaft fault | 1.87% |
| 17 | Front suspension joint worn | 1.70% |
| 18 | Fog lamp not working | 1.33% |
| 19 | Suspension mounting corroded | 1.32% |
| 20 | Rear lamp not working | 1.12% |
| 21 | Windscreen damage affecting view | 0.80% |
| 22 | Parking brake condition | 0.79% |
| 23 | Rear suspension fault | 0.77% |
| 24 | Body corrosion or damage | 0.72% |
| 25 | Shock absorber worn or leaking | 0.68% |
| 26 | Indicator fault | 0.64% |
| 27 | Mirror damaged or missing | 0.61% |
| 28 | Seat belt condition | 0.58% |
| 29 | Steering rack fault | 0.56% |
| 30 | Handbrake cable fault | 0.47% |
| 31 | Front suspension fault | 0.42% |
| 32 | Brake performance below minimum | 0.39% |
| 33 | Airbag warning light on | 0.39% |
| 34 | Subframe mounting corroded | 0.38% |
| 35 | Horn not working | 0.31% |
| 36 | Position lamp not working | 0.30% |
| 37 | Brake fluid leak | 0.29% |
| 38 | Suspension linkage fault | 0.22% |
| 39 | Brake pedal movement restricted | 0.21% |
| 40 | Battery loose or leaking | 0.21% |
| 41 | Power steering pipe or hose leaking | 0.19% |
| 42 | Chassis condition | 0.18% |
| 43 | Fuel cap damaged or missing | 0.17% |
| 44 | Tyre size or type not matched | 0.16% |
| 45 | ABS fault | 0.16% |
| 46 | Dashboard warning lamp fault | 0.15% |
| 47 | Bonded suspension condition | 0.13% |
| 48 | Steering free play excessive | 0.12% |
| 49 | Brake pedal fault | 0.11% |
| 50 | Steering column fault | 0.11% |
| 51 | Electrical switch fault | 0.10% |
| 52 | Ball joint dust cover split | 0.09% |
| 53 | Suspension unit fault | 0.09% |
| 54 | Brake caliper fault | 0.08% |
| 55 | Steering arm worn | 0.08% |
| 56 | Spare wheel fault | 0.08% |
| 57 | Parking brake performance below minimum | 0.07% |
| 58 | Body security fault | 0.07% |
| 59 | Steering operation fault | 0.07% |
| 60 | Spark ignition emissions above threshold | 0.06% |
| 61 | CV joint worn | 0.06% |
| 62 | Flexible brake hose damaged | 0.06% |
| 63 | Vehicle structure corrosion | 0.06% |
| 64 | Power steering pump fault | 0.06% |
| 65 | Bonnet catch or hinge fault | 0.05% |
| 66 | Fuel pipe corroded or damaged | 0.05% |
| 67 | Headlamp fault | 0.05% |
| 68 | Drag link end worn | 0.05% |
| 69 | MacPherson strut worn | 0.05% |
| 70 | Compression ignition emissions above threshold | 0.04% |
| 71 | Towbar fault | 0.04% |
| 72 | Electronic stability control fault | 0.04% |
| 73 | Anti-roll bar worn or corroded | 0.04% |
| 74 | Hydraulic suspension accumulator fault | 0.04% |
| 75 | Brake lever fault | 0.04% |
| 76 | Steering lock fault | 0.04% |
| 77 | Spring mounting corroded | 0.04% |
| 78 | Driver airbag fault | 0.04% |
| 79 | Rear reflector damaged or missing | 0.04% |
| 80 | Fuel hose damaged or leaking | 0.03% |
| 81 | Power steering ram fault | 0.03% |
| 82 | Rigid brake pipe corroded or damaged | 0.03% |
| 83 | Electrical wiring fault | 0.03% |
| 84 | Fuel tank corroded or leaking | 0.03% |
| 85 | Brake air or vacuum system fault | 0.03% |
| 86 | Tyre valve stem damaged | 0.03% |
| 87 | Suspension arm worn or corroded | 0.03% |
| 88 | Subframe corrosion or damage | 0.03% |
| 89 | Tailgate damaged or insecure | 0.03% |
| 90 | Suspension air bellows damaged | 0.02% |
| 91 | Tie bar or rod worn or corroded | 0.02% |
| 92 | Steering coupling worn | 0.02% |
| 93 | Air suspension levelling valve fault | 0.02% |
| 94 | Exhaust emissions above threshold (non-catalyst) | 0.02% |
| 95 | Wheel bearing worn | 0.02% |
| 96 | Steering drive system fault | 0.02% |
| 97 | Boot lid damaged or insecure | 0.02% |
| 98 | Rear fog lamp not working | 0.02% |
| 99 | Hydraulic fluid leak | 0.01% |
| 100 | Brake fluid warning light on | 0.01% |
| 101 | Steering wheel damaged or insecure | 0.01% |
| 102 | Steering damper fault | 0.01% |
| 103 | Brake back plate corroded or damaged | 0.01% |
| 104 | Steering shaft fault | 0.01% |
| 105 | Suspension retaining or locking device fault | 0.01% |
| 106 | Speedometer fault | <0.01% |
| 107 | Additional braking device fault | <0.01% |
| 108 | Driver seat fault | <0.01% |
| 109 | Brake cable, rod, lever or linkage fault | <0.01% |
| 110 | Brake pedal linkage fault | <0.01% |
| 111 | Engine oil leak | <0.01% |
| 112 | Semaphore indicator fault | <0.01% |
| 113 | Engine mounting worn or broken | <0.01% |
| 114 | Hand-operated brake valve condition | <0.01% |
| 115 | King pin or swivel pin worn | <0.01% |
| 116 | Radius arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 117 | Brake fluid level low or contaminated | <0.01% |
| 118 | Brake pressure or vacuum buildup insufficient | <0.01% |
| 119 | Brake stationary pin worn | <0.01% |
| 120 | Brake wheel cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 121 | Steering intermediate drop arm worn | <0.01% |
| 122 | Driver door fault | <0.01% |
| 123 | Axle beam corroded or cracked | <0.01% |
| 124 | Passenger airbag fault | <0.01% |
| 125 | Coil spring broken or corroded | <0.01% |
| 126 | Brake valve fault | <0.01% |
| 127 | Exhaust leak | <0.01% |
| 128 | Brake fluid reservoir fault | <0.01% |
| 129 | Brake servo fault | <0.01% |
| 130 | Bumper damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 131 | Handbrake lever fault | <0.01% |
| 132 | Suspension coupling worn | <0.01% |
| 133 | Loading door damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 134 | Torsion bar worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 135 | Front passenger door fault | <0.01% |
| 136 | Handbrake mechanism or mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 137 | Hydraulic brake cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 138 | Propshaft fault | <0.01% |
| 139 | Steering box fault | <0.01% |
| 140 | Trailing arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 141 | Undertray damaged or missing | <0.01% |
| 142 | Brake clevis joint worn | <0.01% |
| 143 | Brake master cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 144 | Brake relay lever fault | <0.01% |
| 145 | Load sensing valve fault | <0.01% |
| 146 | Torque or reaction arm worn | <0.01% |
| 147 | Air brake cylinder or actuator fault | <0.01% |
| 148 | Brake linkage mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 149 | Electronic parking brake fault | <0.01% |
| 150 | Exhaust heat shield or sound insulation damaged | <0.01% |
| 151 | Full power hydraulic brake fault | <0.01% |
| 152 | Hinged tailboard damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 153 | Main beam warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 154 | Mirror or camera fault | <0.01% |
| 155 | Panhard rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 156 | Passenger seat fault | <0.01% |
| 157 | Rear fog lamp warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 158 | Steering lock stop fault | <0.01% |
| 159 | Vehicle floor corroded | <0.01% |
Showing all 159 reasons — scroll inside the table for the full list.
Citroen Xantia MOT Failures by Category
Total MOT failure occurrences for the Citroen Xantia, 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 Xantia problems?
Based on analysis of 340K Citroen Xantia MOT tests from DVSA data, we have 49 identified common problems across 1 generation. The most frequently flagged issue is "Brake performance below minimum". Brakes is the most common problem category.
Which Citroen Xantia generation has the most problems?
The Citroen Xantia Xantia (1993-2001) (1993–2001) has the highest number of identified common problems (65). 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 Xantia?
Yes — use the "Tell Us About Your Problem" form on this page. Your report helps other Citroen Xantia owners spot problems early. All submissions are reviewed before being added to the public database.
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