Is the Citroen C5 reliable?

The Citroen C5 has an average MOT pass rate of 76% across 20 years, based on 40,381 tests in 2024. That's 6 points below the national average of 82%. The most reliable year is 2020 with a 92% pass rate.

Which year Citroen C5 is best?

The 2020 Citroen C5 has the highest MOT pass rate at 92%, while the 2001 model has the lowest at 64%. There's a 28 percentage point spread between the best and worst years.

Citroen C5 Running Costs, MOT Pass Rates & Reliability

Citroen C5

Reliability, running costs, and MOT data across 20 years from 40,381 real MOT tests.

Avg Pass Rate

76%

Total Tests

40,381

Best Year

2020 (92%)

Years Covered

How reliable is the Citroen C5?

vs national average-6% (82% avg)

vs Citroen brand average-3% (79% avg)

Best to worst year spread28 percentage points

Reliability trendImproving over years

Citroen C5 by Year

Year	Pass Rate	Tests	Avg Mileage
2021	92%	2,377	25,060 mi
2020	92%	10,871	30,371 mi
2019	89%	11,830	37,099 mi
2018	76%	46	42,159 mi
2016	84%	186	70,192 mi
2015	83%	320	88,761 mi
2014	79%	405	83,642 mi
2013	77%	653	96,254 mi
2012	77%	729	106,625 mi
2011	75%	1,045	113,766 mi
2010	72%	2,297	119,800 mi
2009	72%	3,341	119,720 mi
2008	71%	2,251	122,178 mi
2007	69%	731	118,303 mi
2006	72%	827	118,553 mi
2005	69%	596	119,716 mi
2004	72%	691	117,451 mi
2003	69%	554	126,405 mi
2002	66%	426	125,296 mi
2001	64%	205	116,552 mi

Checking a specific Citroen C5?

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About the Citroen C5

The Citroen C5 has been tested 40,381 times in 2024 MOT data across 20 model years (2001 to 2021), with an average pass rate of 76%. That's 6 points below the national average of 82%, so check the year-by-year data carefully before buying. Available as diesel and petrol.

Best and Worst Years

The 2020 model is the most reliable with a 92% pass rate from 10,871 tests. The 2001 model has the lowest at 64%. With a 28 point spread, choosing the right year makes a big difference to reliability.

Reliability Trend

Newer CITROEN C5s show better MOT pass rates than older ones, with an average improvement of 13 percentage points.

Mileage Across Years

The oldest model in our data (2001) averages 116,552 miles, while the newest (2021) averages 25,060 miles. Older models have covered serious mileage, so suspension and drivetrain wear are worth checking.

Click any year in the table above to see detailed running costs, individual reliability data, and comparisons with similar cars.