Renault
4,951 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Clio RS Line Tces pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 11.1 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
88.6%
Pass-after-fix
2.2%
Fail
9.0%
Avg miles
24,920
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 4,951 tests
Pass rate climbs 2.5 points across the cohorts — newer Clio RS Line Tce examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
87.5%
Fail
10.2%
PRS
2.1%
Avg mileage at test
27,784 mi
Pass
90.0%
Fail
7.3%
PRS
2.3%
Avg mileage at test
21,072 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,761 MOT tests, the Clio Rs Line Tce returns 86.3% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is wipers that don't clear the screen. Brake pads worn below 1.5 mm and a defective wiper blade round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 21,458, 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
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 →
3–18
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a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
79 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
68 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
63 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
58 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
54 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Wiper blade defective
46 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
35 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
23 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
18 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
13 occurrences · 0.3% 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
£160–£300
If every one of this Clio RS Line Tce'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.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 2.5-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Renault Clio RS Line Tce makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
90.0%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 90.0% — a 2.5-point improvement. Tests in this band average 21,072 miles — roughly 7K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: less than 1.5 mm thick, has ply or cords exposed — 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
87.5%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 87.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 90.0% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: does not clear the windscreen effectively, less than 1.5 mm thick, and has ply or cords exposed. Average mileage on test for this band is 27,784 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (90.0% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (87.5% pass). That's a 2.5-point spread across 2,834 older tests and 2,117 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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
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
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · 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
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
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Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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Owner reports · Honest John
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
Trendy looks, an impressive cabin and low running costs mean the Renault Clio is a very desirable little car, even if it's not quite as refined as a Volkswagen Polo.
Where it falls short
Hybrid models are expensive. Limited engine line-up. Firm ride on 17-inch alloy wheels.
Report of automatic gearbox failure on 2020 Clio. The car went into overdrive twice in the space of a week. Then, on a motorway journey, a red stop sign flashed and the gearbox failed. Transmission is being repaired under warranty. Compare new Renault Clio deals Buy new from £16,134(list price from £17,995) View offers
Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 1 reports indexed
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 Clio RS Line Tce 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.
