Citroen
C3 Picasso
10,677 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where C3 Picassos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 3.0 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
74.5%
Pass-after-fix
7.0%
Fail
18.2%
Avg miles
51,073
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Some examples of this model are borderline — a small number of diesels were certified Euro 6 before September 2015. Check your registration on the government's ULEZ checker to be certain. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .
The picture
C3 Picasso: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 7,763 MOT tests, the C3 Picasso returns 76.9% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a missing CV-joint boot. A number-plate lamp out and a seriously damaged tyre round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 44,513, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
Group 5–16
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 →
5–16
out of 50
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
392 occurrences · 3.7% of tests
- 02
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
343 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
- 03
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
228 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
- 04
A tyre seriously damaged
167 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
- 05
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
145 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
- 06
A tyre cords visible or damaged
133 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
- 07
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
132 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
- 08
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
131 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
- 09
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
129 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
- 10
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
119 occurrences · 1.1% 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
£96–£230
If every one of this C3 Picasso'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 →
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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
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
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
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
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.
Recall history
11 UK recalls on record.
The C3 Picasso has 11 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
Buying or keeping a C3 Picasso?
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 C3 Picasso 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.