Model Reports 4 min read Updated 18 Oct 2026

Citroen Berlingo 2004: reliability & common MOT faults

In 2025, 53 in every 100 first MOTs on a 2004 Citroen Berlingo were passes. Most common reason for a fail: Individual sidelight or tail light (front).

Summary

The 2004 Citroen Berlingo follows the pattern of the model years either side.

At a glance

How 2,708 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time
53 in every 100
Did not pass first time
47 in every 1001,279 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car
21 yearsabout 115,525 miles
First tests counted
2,708

What failed most often

  1. Individual sidelight or tail light (front)12 in every 100 failed tests
  2. Horn11 in every 100 failed tests
  3. Brake light11 in every 100 failed tests

How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.

Note:

These are patterns across 2004 Citroen Berlingo vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. A wear pattern follows age and use more than the way the car was built. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.

Brakes

Three faults and one wear pattern. The strongest is the brake load-sensing valve: 31 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 1,275 of 1,279 failed first attempts (99.7%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025. Mileage is needed to compare like with like.

We only list faults with at least 20 failures and a rate of about 2.0 times that of similar cars, which keeps one-off results out of the list.

Brake load-sensing valve

Failed on 55 first tests31 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A load sensing valve that is seized or inoperative is Major when ABS is functioning, and graded Dangerous when ABS is not fitted or inoperative. A valve missing where fitted as standard is graded Dangerous too. A linkage that is obviously incorrectly adjusted is Major.

Brake efficiency below minimum (roller test)

Failed on 71 first tests4.8 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Service brake efficiency below the minimum requirement is Major, and efficiency less than half of the required value is graded Dangerous. On a roller brake tester, if more than half of the wheels of a brake system lock, the efficiency requirement for that system counts as met.

Brake imbalance across an axle (roller test, efficiency check, rear)

Failed on 53 first tests2.4 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A wheel giving less than a set share of the maximum effort from the other wheel on the same axle is Major. On a steered axle, less than half is graded Dangerous. Testers disregard an imbalance if the lower effort is the result of a locked wheel, or if the higher effort from a wheel is at or below a low set figure.

Brake discs (front)

Failed on 34 first tests2.2 times as often as similar carsWear pattern

What it means

A brake disc or drum must be significantly worn before it is rejected, and being worn below the manufacturer's recommended limits is not a reason in itself. Significantly and obviously worn is Major, as is contamination with oil or grease. A disc or drum that is fractured, insecure, seriously weakened or missing is graded Dangerous.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Body and structure

One fault: other passenger door condition (rear), 7.3 times as often as on similar cars.

Other passenger door condition (rear)

Failed on 45 first tests7.3 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A lack of door handles is not a defect where it comes from the original design or a specialist modification, provided the door latches securely closed and opens using a control such as a button or a fob. Hinges, catches and pillars are rejected for deterioration only if the doors stop working as intended. A hinged door likely to open inadvertently or not remain closed is graded Dangerous.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Lamps and electrical

Two faults. The strongest is the horn: 6.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Horn

Failed on 137 first tests6.6 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

What it means

A horn that does not work, or is likely to be confused with an emergency vehicle siren, is graded Major. Gongs, bells, sirens and anything with more than one tone, which includes a horn that alternates between its notes, are not allowed, except a gong, bell or siren on vehicles first used before a set date. Sound defects are Minor for named cases such as a bell or harsh sound, and Major under a general row.

Side repeater indicators

Failed on 90 first tests4.0 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Sequential or dynamic direction indicators are not a reason to fail. Where a side repeater is required, it is allowed to be part of the front direction indicator if it has a marked wraparound lens, or an amber light coming through the front lens when viewed from a set distance to the side of the rear bumper. A lens defect with no effect on the emitted light is Minor, and one that adversely affects the light is Major.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 34 first tests, 4.7 times as often as on similar cars.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Seat belts and restraints

One fault: airbag warning light, 2.9 times as often as on similar cars.

Airbag warning light

Failed on 126 first tests2.9 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

The airbag warning lamp (SRS MIL in DVSA's wording) is failed only if it indicates a system malfunction, which is Major. A lamp lit to show the passenger airbag is disabled is not to be regarded as a defect. Dashboard messages are not a defect in their own right, though they can help the tester confirm a malfunction.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Suspension

One fault: anti-roll bar ball joint (front), 2.9 times as often as on similar cars.

Anti-roll bar ball joint (front)

Failed on 31 first tests2.9 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

On an anti-roll bar ball joint, DVSA fails a suspension pin, bush or joint that is excessively worn as Major. One likely to become detached is graded Dangerous.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Steering

One fault: steering rack, 2.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Steering rack

Failed on 27 first tests2.0 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Steering gear casing retaining devices dangerously loose, or visible relative movement to the chassis or bodywork, is graded Dangerous. A casing not properly attached, or fractured, is Major, but a fracture that affects the stability or attachment of the casing is Dangerous. A gaiter damaged but still keeping dirt out is Minor, and Major once missing or no longer doing so.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Advisories

Other things testers noted as worn or close to failing, more often than on similar cars.

An advisory is a note from the tester about something that has not failed yet. It is an early warning, not a fail. Advisories for the faults above are shown with those faults.

Other power steering components

Noted on 21 first tests2.6 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Individual direction indicators (rear)

Noted on 35 first tests2.3 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Counts cover advisories recorded on failed first tests only, compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

MOT pass rates

How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.

Passed first time
53in every 100
Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station
8in every 100
Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed
39in every 100
Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 52.8% of 2,708 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 61.2%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 8 fixed and the 39 not fixed make the 47 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Petrol and diesel

First testsTypical mileagePassed first time, as testedPassed first time, same mileage
Diesel2,112120,616 miles5354
Petrol59399,994 miles5249

Figures are in every 100 first tests. Cars with more miles usually fail more often, so the same-mileage figure gives every fuel the mileage mix of all the cars in this year.

Same model, other years

Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.

40608010020002004201020152020Older carsNewer cars
4060801002000200420102020Newer cars

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb. A year earlier (2024), when these cars were a year younger, 50 in every 100 passed first time.

YearPassed first timeFirst tests
200053 in every 100339
200151 in every 100686
200252 in every 1001,209
200351 in every 1002,128
2004 This car53 in every 1002,708
200550 in every 1002,891
200653 in every 1004,001
200752 in every 1004,182
200850 in every 1004,577
200949 in every 1007,107
201050 in every 1006,459
201149 in every 1007,160
201252 in every 1008,849
201352 in every 10011,431
201453 in every 10013,356
201555 in every 10014,277
201658 in every 10013,570
201758 in every 10012,952
201861 in every 10012,996
201972 in every 10014,646
202074 in every 10011,823
202172 in every 10011,383
202272 in every 1006,789

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

Mileage matters most on a 2004 Berlingo.

Of 2004 Berlingo vehicles with under 82,000 miles, 63 in every 100 passed their 2025 MOT first time. With 151,000 miles or more, 47 in every 100 did.

Under 82,000548 tests
63
82,000–105,000545 tests
51
105,000–126,000 Typical car528 tests
51
126,000–151,000545 tests
51
151,000 and over536 tests
47

Petrol or diesel?

Typical mileagePassed first time,
as tested		Passed first time,
same mileage
Diesel120,616 miles5354
Petrol99,994 miles5249

Figures are in every 100 first tests. At the same mileage there is no clear difference between the two.

What to check at your mileage

How often each fault turned up on a failed first test, by the car's mileage. Read it as: what is likely to need looking at on a car like the one in front of you.

Under 82,000105,000–126,000151,000 and over
Individual sidelight or tail light (front)1.16.28.6
Horn2.95.36.5
Brake light2.25.56.9
Airbag warning light2.63.86.0
Suspension arm ball joint (front)2.64.26.9

Faults per 100 first tests, by the car's mileage at the test.

When a car fails

19in every 100

of failed cars had one item to fix.

61in every 100

of failed cars had three or more items to fix.

9in every 100

of all first tests had a defect the tester marked dangerous (unsafe to drive away).

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line, for cars of this model year tested in 2025. Each mileage band holds a fifth of the tests. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

The 2004 Citroen Berlingo follows the pattern of the model years either side. Its main cause of failure was Individual sidelight or tail light (front), about 12 in every 100 failed tests. In 2025, 52.8% of 2,708 first MOTs on the 2004 Citroen Berlingo passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 61.2%. Among 1,279 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Horn appears more often than on similar cars (10.7% of those tests; 137 observed failures; about 6.6× more often than similar cars). There is no single reliability score here; this is a pre-purchase checklist built from DVSA open data, not a guarantee for any individual car.
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that most often failed a 2004 Citroen Berlingo at the first attempt were Individual sidelight or tail light (front) (11.8%), Horn (10.7%) and Brake light (10.6%), each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong most often on the car. The common faults table shows a different measure: faults that are unusual compared with similar cars.
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Horn (10.7% of those tests; 137 observed failures; about 6.6× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Horn shows up more often than on similar cars (10.7% of those tests; 137 observed failures; about 6.6× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault. Age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase checkpoint, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2004 Citroen Berlingo include Horn, Brake load-sensing valve, Other passenger door condition (rear). These are the faults that stand out compared with similar cars, not a complete list of what can go wrong on any individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2004 Citroen Berlingo (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics, not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars, not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics; this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces, but does not remove, differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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