MOT cost .
Citroen C1
MOT 2023
Wikimedia

Citroen

C1

204,200 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where C1s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's in line with the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models.

Pass

75.3%

Pass-after-fix

5.5%

Fail

18.7%

Avg miles

60,182

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

75.3% pass rate — brake pipes are the hidden risk

Rear number plate lamps and tyre tread are predictable MOT failures, but the Citroen C1's third most common reason for failing is corroded brake pipes — a structural concern that goes well beyond a quick bulb swap. Across 204,200 tests at an average of 60,182 miles, the 75.3% pass rate is acceptable for the city car class, but the brake pipe finding demands attention from any owner of an older example.

Owner reports are thin but pointed. Clutch failure at just 8,000 miles on a used 2016 C1 — with a complaint already on record at 5,000 — ended with a £1,400 quote and a dealer who'd previously told the owner to come back later. MirrorLink incompatibility with iPhone models beyond the 4S illustrates how quickly the tech dated. The C1 is a simple car and usually a cheap one to run, but brake pipe corrosion at MOT time can turn a routine pass into an immediate fail with advisory costs attached.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    7,993 occurrences · 3.9% of tests

  2. 02

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    5,794 occurrences · 2.8% of tests

  3. 03

    Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded

    4,917 occurrences · 2.4% of tests

  4. 04

    Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake

    4,809 occurrences · 2.4% of tests

  5. 05

    A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    3,729 occurrences · 1.8% of tests

  6. 06

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    3,155 occurrences · 1.5% of tests

  7. 07

    Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective

    3,104 occurrences · 1.5% of tests

  8. 08

    The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired

    2,989 occurrences · 1.5% of tests

  9. 09

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    2,963 occurrences · 1.5% of tests

  10. 10

    The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements

    2,918 occurrences · 1.4% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures

£108–£220

If every one of this C1's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

Owner reports · Honest John

What owners actually report.

Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.

Recent owner-reported faults

  1. 15 Jul 2019

    Report of clutch failure of 2016 Citroen C1, bought used at 5,000 miles in March 2018 and failure occurred at 8,000 miles in July 2019. Owner had already complained about it to supplying dealer in February 2019 and was told to brng it back later in the year. Now quoting £1,400 ro replace the clutch. Google Pixel 10 Pro 128GB In Moonstone | Verizon (With 36 Monthly Installment Payments + Plan)Meet the new status pro. Pixel 10 Pro is the ultimate Pixel experience, featuring advanced AI with Gemini, unbelievable camera quality, i...Verizon Wireless Friday: IRS Forgives Millions Before April 30th Cutoff As the tax relief deadline nears, thousands of Americans are rushing to resolve their tax debts before the IRS imposes hefty penalties.Fresh Start Information Learn More Ask a Pro: "I'm 65 With $1.1M In An IRA. What's My Retirement Budget?"This quiz matches nearly 50,000 people each month with vetted financial advisors.SmartAsset Learn More Top 5 Mouse Repellents for 2026 Expert Product Review Learn More North Charleston: AudioNova is giving free 30-minute hearing checks complete this short quiz to schedule your free hearing test AudioNova Sleep Experts: Why Melatonin Can Make Your Sleep Problems Worse!Health Report Sponsored How US Navy Submarine Cooks Keep Their Produce Fresh For 5x Longer Consumer Check Sponsored What Plumbers Won’t Tell You: The Cheap Hack for Clear Drains Trending Deal Journal [![Image 30: Find Senior Women Who Bring The Spark [See Who's Online]](https://images.outbrainimg.com/transform/v3/eyJpdSI6ImVlOTM0MDUyOTFmNjNiZDg0YzZiYmJiOTZmMTU2OTdkMjM2NjdkY2QxMzFiZjQ5YmVhYmE3NTg4MjQ2NDcwZmIiLCJ3Ijo0MDAsImgiOjMwMCwiZCI6MS4wLCJjaCI6MTcwNzk5NjgwNiwiY3MiOjAsImYiOjR9.webp)Sponsored Find Senior Women Who Bring The Spark [See Who's Online]It all starts with a message.amorelation.com Read more](https://amorelation.com/land/sp/17f2ebbb?utm_source=Outbrain&utm_medium=ua&utm_campaign=OBN_Amorelation_USA_All_Native_EU2_NewU_aOBX25_WL-exclude2_Creo-t_Text-t_mua_20Apr&campaign_id=004aea76c4e6e4694169bd0cc89a5ab731&utm_content=Find+Senior+Women+Who+Bring+The+Spark+%5BSee+Who%27s+Online%5D&partner=outbrain_datingsmatch&OutbrainClickId={{ob_click_id}}&subid={{ob_click_id}}&ad_id=00a6ec82b0a80be32da728c53c4e0bb954&publisher_name={{publisher_name}}&section_name={{section_name}}&publisher_id={{publisher_id}}&ad_name={{ad_name}}&obOrigUrl=true) Sponsored With Tariffs Dominating DC, IRS Quietly Forgiving Millions in South Carolina Tax Debt As the tax forgiveness deadline nears, thousands of Americans are rushing to resolve their tax debts before the IRS imposes hefty penalties.freshstartinfo.org Learn More Sponsored Top 5 Binoculars for 2026 Expert Product Review Learn More * Terms and Conditions * Privacy * Cookies * Advertise on this site * Contact * Mobile) Website of the Year 2016, 2017 & 2018

  2. 5 Sep 2015

    MirrorLink system is not compatible with iPhones beyond the iPhone 4S, so not compatible with iPhone 5, 5S or 6. A software patch is being worked on but is not yet available.

Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 2 reports indexed

Buying or keeping a C1?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a C1 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.