Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 596,897 tests

Pass rate climbs 23.5 points across the cohorts — newer Clio examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 546,246

Pass

66.1%

Fail

28.1%

PRS

5.2%

Avg mileage at test

77,917 mi

2018–2020 cohort 50,545

Pass

79.9%

Fail

16.0%

PRS

3.7%

Avg mileage at test

39,073 mi

2021+ cohort 106

Pass

89.6%

Fail

10.4%

PRS

0.0%

Avg mileage at test

21,047 mi

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

Generations on file · 5

Renault Clio · UK market

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

The picture

Clio's 66% Pass Rate Masks Suspension Wear

Only 66.57% of Renault Clios pass their MOT first time — one of the lower rates in the supermini class across 442,016 tests. Fractured springs and worn suspension pins and bushes account for two of the top three failure points, suggesting suspension wear accelerates at typical UK urban mileages. One 2020 Clio automatic suffered complete gearbox failure on a motorway, requiring a full transmission repair under warranty. For used buyers, ask specifically about suspension history, check rear number plate lamp function (a consistent advisory item), and treat any firm ride on 17-inch wheels as a sign the spring condition needs scrutiny.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 3–18

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

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

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

01

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

30,024 occurrences · 5.0% of tests
02

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

28,988 occurrences · 4.9% of tests
03

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

23,054 occurrences · 3.9% of tests
04

A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play

19,877 occurrences · 3.3% of tests
05

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

18,410 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
06

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

13,844 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
07

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

13,012 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
08

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

12,636 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
09

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

10,401 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
10

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

9,880 occurrences · 1.7% 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 4 failures

£248–£755

If every one of this Clio'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

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 23.5-point gap between bands means the year you buy Renault Clio has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

89.6%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 89.6% — a 23.5-point improvement. Tests in this band average 21,047 miles — roughly 57K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: does not clear the windscreen effectively, has a bulge, caused by separation or… — 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

66.1%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 66.1% pass rate against a fleet average of 89.6% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: fractured or broken, ball joint excessively worn, and inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…. Average mileage on test for this band is 77,917 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (89.6% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (66.1% pass). That's a 23.5-point spread across 546,246 older tests and 106 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.

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My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

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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

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.

Recent owner-reported faults

5 May 2021
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

Recall history

18 UK recalls on record.

The Clio has 18 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Clio?

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 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.