Renault
4,554 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Clio S Edition Tces pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 11.4 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
89.0%
Pass-after-fix
2.7%
Fail
7.9%
Avg miles
25,868
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 · 4,554 tests
Pass rate climbs 2.0 points across the cohorts — newer Clio S Edition Tce examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
87.6%
Fail
8.9%
PRS
3.3%
Avg mileage at test
26,977 mi
Pass
89.5%
Fail
7.4%
PRS
2.4%
Avg mileage at test
25,390 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 942 MOT tests, the Clio S Edition Tce returns 88.2% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is wipers that don't clear the screen. A tyre with the cords showing and a defective wiper blade round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 22,016, 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 tyre cords visible or damaged
70 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
57 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
57 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Wiper blade defective
47 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
38 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
36 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
25 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
14 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Seat belt buckle missing, damaged or not functioning as intended
10 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
10 occurrences · 0.2% 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 5 failures
£240–£440
If every one of this Clio S Edition 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 →
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 2.0-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Renault Clio S Edition Tce makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
89.5%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 89.5% — a 2.0-point improvement. 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
87.6%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 87.6% pass rate against a fleet average of 89.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has ply or cords exposed, does not clear the windscreen effectively, and blade defective. Average mileage on test for this band is 26,977 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (89.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (87.6% pass). That's a 2.0-point spread across 1,368 older tests and 3,186 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
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
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
Item 03 · 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
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
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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 S Edition 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.
