Skoda
79,542 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Citigos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 4.5 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
82.0%
Pass-after-fix
4.8%
Fail
12.9%
Avg miles
50,225
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 · 79,542 tests
Pass rate climbs 7.8 points across the cohorts — newer Citigo examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
80.9%
Fail
13.8%
PRS
5.0%
Avg mileage at test
53,547 mi
Pass
88.6%
Fail
7.1%
PRS
3.9%
Avg mileage at test
29,948 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
The Skoda Citigo posts 83.2% first-time pass from 58,860 tests at an average presenting mileage of 42,127. Top failures are rear plate lamp faults, tyre tread and windscreen chips. The Citigo shares its NSF platform with the VW Up and SEAT Mii — all three show similar lighting failure rates from the small, vibration-prone rear lamp clusters. At 42,000 average miles, no mechanical failures appear in the data. The Citigo's simple 1.0-litre MPI engine is mechanically uncomplicated and reliable. At 83.2% and above average, the Citigo is a strong used proposition. Pre-test: check rear plate lamp function and tyre condition.
ABI Insurance Group
A low-group car — among the cheapest to insure in the UK. 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 →
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Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
1,149 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
1,104 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
1,055 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
1,012 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
977 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
Wiper blade defective
655 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer
587 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Fuel system leaking, or missing or ineffective filler cap
557 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
554 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
514 occurrences · 0.6% 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–£380
If every one of this Citigo'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 7.8-point gap between bands means the year you buy Skoda Citigo has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
88.6%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 88.6% — a 7.8-point improvement. Tests in this band average 29,948 miles — roughly 24K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: does not clear the windscreen effectively, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
80.9%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 80.9% pass rate against a fleet average of 88.6% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: excessively binding, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 53,547 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (88.6% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (80.9% pass). That's a 7.8-point spread across 68,352 older tests and 11,190 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
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
My Motor World · affiliate
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Hycote Skoda Pacific Blue Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml
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Equip ELF083 Skoda Estelle/105-135 Petrol Locking Fuel Cap
£8.79
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Equip ELF072 Skoda Favorit Petrol Locking Fuel Cap
£13.19
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Autotek
Autotek Skoda Race Blue 300ml
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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
The Skoda Citigo is a capable and economical city car sharing its NSF platform with the Volkswagen Up and SEAT Mii. Reliable 1.0-litre MPI engine, low running costs, good build quality for the price.
Recall history
The Citigo has 7 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
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 Citigo 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.
