Renault Clio — Common MOT Faults
Model-level fault breakdown for the Renault Clio (1998–present): top failure categories, dangerous defect and retest rates, mileage benchmarks, and an AI-calculated reliability score.
Renault Clio fault snapshot: first-time MOT pass rate 76.8% (failure rate 23.2%), ranks above the UK average of 64%. Dangerous defect rate 2%, retest rate 15.5%. Composite reliability score 71/100 (good). Top failure category: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment at 18% of tests.
Renault Clio · reliability score
71/100
MOT Checkup reliability score: Good · combines pass rate, dangerous defect rate and retest rate.
76.8%
vs UK 64%
2%
15.5%
Top MOT failure categories — Renault Clio
Categories most likely to trigger an MOT failure on the Renault Clio. The first three account for the majority of fails.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Suspension
Brakes
Tyres
Exhaust, fuel and emissions
Where on the car faults cluster
Front
32%
Rear
29%
Offside
20%
Mileage benchmarks — Renault Clio
From ages 3 to 5, average mileage on a Renault Clio rises from around 18,000 miles to 30,000 miles — about 6,000 miles a year, which is in line with the UK average use pattern. A specific car well below or above these averages warrants extra scrutiny — very low mileage on an older car can mean infrequent maintenance just as easily as low use.
Age 3
18,000 mi
Age 5
30,000 mi
Age 10
58,000 mi
Run a free MOT check on this Renault Clio
Enter the registration to see the actual MOT history for the car you’re looking at — pass/fail, advisories, dangerous defects, mileage at every test. Free and instant.
Free MOT history check at /free-mot-check.
Pre-purchase checklist for a Renault Clio
- Pull the MOT history first. A pattern of repeat advisories in the same category (e.g. suspension knock noted on three tests in a row) usually means a deferred repair waiting for you.
- Sanity-check the mileage. Compare what’s on the odometer with the readings logged at each MOT. Any backward step or implausibly large jump is a red flag.
- Inspect the top failure points yourself. For this model the cluster is lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and suspension — both are easy to assess in a short test drive.
- Ask for the last service record. A Renault with consistent dealer or independent service stamps will normally outperform the model-average pass rate of 76.8%.
Compare and explore
Renault Clio MOT check
Free registration lookup for this model.
Renault reliability
Brand-wide reliability profile and model ranking.
Renault Clio repair costs
Indicative repair costs for the common faults above.
Citroen C3 — common faults
Sibling page at a similar pass rate (76.8%).
Vauxhall Corsa — common faults
Sibling page at a similar pass rate (76.5%).
Fiat Panda — common faults
Sibling page at a similar pass rate (76.5%).
Renault Clio — FAQ
Is the Renault Clio reliable for MOT?
What are the most common MOT failures on a Renault Clio?
What's the dangerous defect rate on a Renault Clio?
How do I check a specific Renault Clio's MOT history?
Check the MOT history of a Renault Clio
Free, instant lookup. Every test result, advisory and mileage reading since 2005.
Source: MOT Checkup reliability dataset. Reliability score is a composite metric blending first-time pass rate, dangerous defect rate and retest rate — see /methodology for the formula. Individual cars vary considerably; the registration-level MOT history is the canonical record.