Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 326,588 tests

Pass rate climbs 10.4 points across the cohorts — newer Berlingo examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 250,987

Pass

65.4%

Fail

25.4%

PRS

8.6%

Avg mileage at test

107,931 mi

2018–2020 cohort 63,745

Pass

75.1%

Fail

16.0%

PRS

8.3%

Avg mileage at test

60,656 mi

2021+ cohort 11,856

Pass

75.8%

Fail

15.5%

PRS

8.0%

Avg mileage at test

43,697 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

Generations on file · 4

Citroen Berlingo · UK market

Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.

The picture

Citroen Berlingo: challenging MOT record across 237,330 tests

The Citroën Berlingo and Peugeot Partner are a range of minivans produced since 1996 and marketed under the Citroën and Peugeot marque. They are sold as light commercial vehicles or as a passenger multi-purpose-vehicle variant with rear seats and windows.

MOT data from 237,330 tests puts this van on a 66.9% first-time pass rate, well below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 93,528 miles. The most common fail item is failed number plate light, followed by cracked or discoloured windscreen.

Fiddly switchgear. Only top-spec models available as automatics.

The Berlingo's pass rate warrants caution in the used market. Factor in likely first-test remedial work on the common failure items and get a pre-purchase inspection that covers the specific items this van trips on most.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 12–20

Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.

Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →

12–20

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

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

24,241 occurrences · 7.4% of tests
02

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

14,151 occurrences · 4.3% of tests
03

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

13,205 occurrences · 4.0% of tests
04

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

11,266 occurrences · 3.4% of tests
05

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

11,001 occurrences · 3.4% of tests
06

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

10,174 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
07

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

9,874 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
08

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

7,905 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
09

A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps

7,215 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
10

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

6,310 occurrences · 1.9% 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.

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Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 10.4-point gap between bands means the year you buy Citroen Berlingo has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

75.8%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 75.8% — a 10.4-point improvement. Tests in this band average 43,697 miles — roughly 64K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, less than 1.5 mm thick — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

65.4%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 65.4% pass rate against a fleet average of 75.8% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, not working, and damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view. Average mileage on test for this band is 107,931 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (75.8% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (65.4% pass). That's a 10.4-point spread across 250,987 older tests and 11,856 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Summit

Summit ADRG-169 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

£9.89

View at My Motor World →

Summit

Summit ADRG-170 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£9.89

View at My Motor World →

Summit

Summit ADRG-48 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

£9.89

View at My Motor World →

Summit

Summit ADRG-49 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£9.89

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

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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.

What's good

Good payload for size. Safety tech. Engaging to drive.

Recall history

43 UK recalls on record.

The Berlingo has 43 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Berlingo?

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 Berlingo 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.