At a Glance
The Citroen Zx has 46 identified common problems across 2 generations, with the Phase 2 (1994-1998) being the most affected generation and brakes the most common problem category. Based on 315K 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 Zx 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 Zx 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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Help other Citroen Zx owners — report a problem and we'll add it to the database
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Browse Citroen Zx Generations
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Most Common Citroen Zx MOT Failures
Every reason Citroen Zx 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 | 12.38% |
| 2 | Tyre tread depth below limit | 9.91% |
| 3 | Exhaust system fault | 7.81% |
| 4 | Brake hydraulic component worn | 5.57% |
| 5 | Wiper blades deteriorated | 5.54% |
| 6 | Windscreen washer not working | 4.88% |
| 7 | Stop lamp not working | 4.40% |
| 8 | Tyre condition | 4.25% |
| 9 | Brake disc or drum worn | 4.25% |
| 10 | Driveshaft fault | 3.67% |
| 11 | Front lamp not working | 3.44% |
| 12 | Number plate lamp not working | 3.10% |
| 13 | Brake performance below minimum | 2.95% |
| 14 | Brake pads or linings worn | 2.53% |
| 15 | Headlamp aim defect | 2.27% |
| 16 | Front suspension joint worn | 2.07% |
| 17 | Shock absorber worn or leaking | 1.78% |
| 18 | Chassis condition | 1.62% |
| 19 | Body corrosion or damage | 1.58% |
| 20 | Track rod end worn | 1.42% |
| 21 | Rear suspension fault | 1.40% |
| 22 | Parking brake condition | 1.38% |
| 23 | Catalytic converter efficiency low | 0.97% |
| 24 | Suspension mounting corroded | 0.88% |
| 25 | Fog lamp not working | 0.81% |
| 26 | Windscreen damage affecting view | 0.76% |
| 27 | Seat belt condition | 0.64% |
| 28 | Horn not working | 0.58% |
| 29 | Mirror damaged or missing | 0.46% |
| 30 | Rear lamp not working | 0.40% |
| 31 | Front suspension fault | 0.39% |
| 32 | Subframe mounting corroded | 0.37% |
| 33 | Spring mounting corroded | 0.34% |
| 34 | Steering rack fault | 0.33% |
| 35 | Suspension linkage fault | 0.27% |
| 36 | Power steering pipe or hose leaking | 0.23% |
| 37 | Position lamp not working | 0.21% |
| 38 | Coil spring broken or corroded | 0.21% |
| 39 | Brake pedal movement restricted | 0.18% |
| 40 | Fuel cap damaged or missing | 0.18% |
| 41 | Indicator fault | 0.15% |
| 42 | Steering operation fault | 0.15% |
| 43 | Parking brake performance below minimum | 0.13% |
| 44 | Tyre size or type not matched | 0.13% |
| 45 | Brake fluid leak | 0.13% |
| 46 | CV joint worn | 0.12% |
| 47 | Bonded suspension condition | 0.11% |
| 48 | Electrical switch fault | 0.11% |
| 49 | Battery loose or leaking | 0.10% |
| 50 | Spark ignition emissions above threshold | 0.09% |
| 51 | Bonnet catch or hinge fault | 0.09% |
| 52 | Brake pedal fault | 0.09% |
| 53 | Brake caliper fault | 0.09% |
| 54 | Headlamp fault | 0.08% |
| 55 | Body security fault | 0.08% |
| 56 | Exhaust emissions above threshold (non-catalyst) | 0.08% |
| 57 | ABS fault | 0.08% |
| 58 | Dashboard warning lamp fault | 0.08% |
| 59 | Tyre valve stem damaged | 0.07% |
| 60 | Handbrake cable fault | 0.07% |
| 61 | Steering free play excessive | 0.07% |
| 62 | Ball joint dust cover split | 0.07% |
| 63 | Power steering ram fault | 0.06% |
| 64 | Suspension arm worn or corroded | 0.06% |
| 65 | Fuel pipe corroded or damaged | 0.06% |
| 66 | Brake lever fault | 0.05% |
| 67 | Vehicle structure corrosion | 0.05% |
| 68 | Anti-roll bar worn or corroded | 0.05% |
| 69 | Power steering pump fault | 0.05% |
| 70 | Steering lock fault | 0.04% |
| 71 | Tie bar or rod worn or corroded | 0.04% |
| 72 | Steering arm worn | 0.04% |
| 73 | Rigid brake pipe corroded or damaged | 0.04% |
| 74 | Brake master cylinder or servo mounting fault | 0.04% |
| 75 | Fuel hose damaged or leaking | 0.04% |
| 76 | Steering coupling worn | 0.04% |
| 77 | Axle beam corroded or cracked | 0.03% |
| 78 | Brake air or vacuum system fault | 0.03% |
| 79 | Suspension unit fault | 0.03% |
| 80 | Drag link end worn | 0.03% |
| 81 | Radius arm worn or corroded | 0.03% |
| 82 | Rear reflector damaged or missing | 0.03% |
| 83 | Rear fog lamp not working | 0.03% |
| 84 | Subframe corrosion or damage | 0.03% |
| 85 | Flexible brake hose damaged | 0.03% |
| 86 | Steering column fault | 0.03% |
| 87 | Wheel bearing worn | 0.03% |
| 88 | Electrical wiring fault | 0.02% |
| 89 | King pin or swivel pin worn | 0.02% |
| 90 | Suspension retaining or locking device fault | 0.02% |
| 91 | Fuel tank corroded or leaking | 0.02% |
| 92 | Compression ignition emissions above threshold | 0.02% |
| 93 | Brake wheel cylinder fault | 0.02% |
| 94 | Steering damper fault | 0.02% |
| 95 | Boot lid damaged or insecure | 0.02% |
| 96 | Engine oil leak | 0.02% |
| 97 | Steering wheel damaged or insecure | 0.02% |
| 98 | Brake cable, rod, lever or linkage fault | 0.01% |
| 99 | Brake fluid warning light on | 0.01% |
| 100 | MacPherson strut worn | 0.01% |
| 101 | Steering drive system fault | 0.01% |
| 102 | Towbar fault | 0.01% |
| 103 | Load sensing valve fault | 0.01% |
| 104 | Handbrake mechanism or mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 105 | Suspension coupling worn | <0.01% |
| 106 | Trailing arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 107 | Tailgate damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 108 | Steering shaft fault | <0.01% |
| 109 | Stub axle worn | <0.01% |
| 110 | Hand-operated brake valve condition | <0.01% |
| 111 | Torque or reaction arm worn | <0.01% |
| 112 | Speedometer fault | <0.01% |
| 113 | Additional braking device fault | <0.01% |
| 114 | Spare wheel fault | <0.01% |
| 115 | Handbrake lever fault | <0.01% |
| 116 | Brake relay lever fault | <0.01% |
| 117 | Hydraulic brake cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 118 | Front passenger door fault | <0.01% |
| 119 | Passenger seat fault | <0.01% |
| 120 | Brake back plate corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 121 | Axle corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 122 | Brake pressure or vacuum buildup insufficient | <0.01% |
| 123 | Brake stationary pin worn | <0.01% |
| 124 | Bumper damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 125 | Semaphore indicator fault | <0.01% |
| 126 | Engine mounting worn or broken | <0.01% |
| 127 | Exhaust leak | <0.01% |
| 128 | Torsion bar worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 129 | Brake linkage mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 130 | Brake pedal linkage fault | <0.01% |
| 131 | Steering intermediate drop arm worn | <0.01% |
| 132 | Driver door fault | <0.01% |
| 133 | Brake fluid level low or contaminated | <0.01% |
| 134 | Driver seat fault | <0.01% |
| 135 | Hydraulic fluid leak | <0.01% |
| 136 | Airbag warning light on | <0.01% |
| 137 | Brake valve fault | <0.01% |
| 138 | Headlamp levelling device fault | <0.01% |
| 139 | Propshaft fault | <0.01% |
| 140 | Electronic stability control fault | <0.01% |
| 141 | Vehicle floor corroded | <0.01% |
| 142 | Body strengthening plate corroded | <0.01% |
| 143 | Brake slack adjuster fault | <0.01% |
| 144 | Driver airbag fault | <0.01% |
| 145 | Hinged tailboard damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 146 | Loading door damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 147 | Rear fog lamp warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 148 | Steering lock stop fault | <0.01% |
| 149 | Undertray damaged or missing | <0.01% |
| 150 | Access panel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 151 | Air brake cylinder or actuator fault | <0.01% |
| 152 | Brake clevis joint worn | <0.01% |
| 153 | Brake fluid reservoir fault | <0.01% |
| 154 | Brake servo fault | <0.01% |
| 155 | Full power hydraulic brake fault | <0.01% |
| 156 | Mirror or camera fault | <0.01% |
| 157 | Seat belt or padding damaged | <0.01% |
| 158 | Steering box fault | <0.01% |
| 159 | Universal joint worn | <0.01% |
| 160 | Wheel hub fault | <0.01% |
Showing all 160 reasons — scroll inside the table for the full list.
Citroen Zx MOT Failures by Category
Total MOT failure occurrences for the Citroen Zx, 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 Zx problems?
Based on analysis of 315K Citroen Zx MOT tests from DVSA data, we have 46 identified common problems across 2 generations. The most frequently flagged issue is "Brake performance below minimum". Brakes is the most common problem category.
Which Citroen Zx generation has the most problems?
The Citroen Zx Phase 2 (1994-1998) (1994–1998) has the highest number of identified common problems (54). 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 Zx?
Yes — use the "Tell Us About Your Problem" form on this page. Your report helps other Citroen Zx owners spot problems early. All submissions are reviewed before being added to the public database.
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