Model Reports 4 min read Updated 18 Oct 2026

Renault Clio 2005: reliability & common MOT faults

In 2025, 50 in every 100 first MOTs on a 2005 Renault Clio were passes. Most common reason for a fail: Headlight aim.

Summary

The 2005 Renault Clio follows the pattern of the model years either side.

At a glance

How 6,971 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time
50 in every 100
Did not pass first time
50 in every 1003,505 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car
20 yearsabout 87,164 miles
First tests counted
6,971

What failed most often

  1. Headlight aim11 in every 100 failed tests
  2. Suspension arm ball joint (front)10 in every 100 failed tests
  3. Airbag warning light10 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 2005 Renault Clio vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.

Lamps and electrical

Two faults. The strongest is the hazard warning switch: 22 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 3,500 of 3,505 failed first attempts (99.9%) 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.

Hazard warning switch

Failed on 146 first tests22 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

What it means

A hazard warning switch that is inoperative is Major, while one that is faulty or insecure is Minor. The lamps must work from one switch only, with the engine or ignition switch both on and off.

Number plate lights

Failed on 329 first tests3.2 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Registration plate lamps must light up the rear registration plate and operate at the same time as the position lamps. A missing or inoperative lamp is Major when the plate has only one lamp or all its lamps are not working, and Minor when the plate has several lamps or light sources and not all have failed. A lamp throwing direct white light to the rear is also Minor.

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

Steering

Two faults. The strongest is the steering rack (front): 9.3 times as often as on similar cars.

Steering rack (front)

Failed on 246 first tests9.3 times as often as similar carsStrong 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.

Track rod end (front)

Failed on 295 first tests2.2 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play is Major, and one worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment is graded Dangerous. A dust cover that is damaged but still keeps dirt out is Minor, and one missing or no longer keeping dirt out is Major. Testers must tell wear from a joint's built-in clearance or spring loading.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 117 first tests, 2.2 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.

Suspension

Four faults. The strongest is the anti-roll bar linkage pins and bushes (front): 8.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Anti-roll bar linkage pins and bushes (front)

Failed on 180 first tests8.0 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

What it means

Excessive wear in an anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush is Major. If the pin or bush is likely to become detached, it is graded Dangerous. The wording is DVSA's general one for a suspension pin, bush or joint.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 362 first tests, 8.4 times as often as on similar cars.

Wheel bearings (rear)

Failed on 153 first tests2.9 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Excessive play in a wheel bearing, or a bearing that is excessively rough, is Major. Play so excessive that the bearing is likely to break up or directional control is impaired is Dangerous, and so is a bearing so rough that it is likely to overheat or break up.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 83 first tests, 2.2 times as often as on similar cars.

Shock absorbers (front)

Failed on 136 first tests2.5 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Slight seepage that leaves a film of fluid on a shock absorber does not fail it. Severe leakage, or damage so that it does not function, is Major. A shock absorber missing or likely to become detached is graded Dangerous, though a missing one is only rejected if shock absorbers were fitted as standard.

Suspension arm ball joint (front)

Failed on 357 first tests2.2 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A suspension arm ball joint is failed under the general suspension pin, bush or joint wording. Excessively worn is Major, and likely to become detached is graded Dangerous.

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

Two faults. The strongest is the airbag warning light: 3.5 times as often as on similar cars.

Airbag warning light

Failed on 354 first tests3.5 times as often as similar carsLikely 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.

Seat belt condition (rear)

Failed on 93 first tests3.4 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Any sign of overstretching is a deficiency, and so is a cut anywhere on a child seat belt. On other belts the size of a cut decides it, with a stricter limit at the webbing edge than away from it. Webbing significantly stretched or weakened has rows in both Major and Dangerous grades.

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.

Individual sidelight or tail light (rear)

Noted on 117 first tests11 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Brake fluid

Noted on 28 first tests5.5 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Anti-roll bar pins and bushes (front)

Noted on 103 first tests3.9 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

Brake light (rear)

Noted on 118 first tests3.8 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Exhaust system (rear)

Noted on 377 first tests3.5 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Wheel condition (rear)

Noted on 96 first tests3.4 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Anti-roll bar (front)

Noted on 37 first tests3.4 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
50in every 100
Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station
7in every 100
Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed
43in every 100
Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 49.7% of 6,971 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 57.3%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 7 fixed and the 43 not fixed make the 50 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Petrol and diesel

First testsTypical mileagePassed first time, as tested
Petrol6,52985,572 miles50
Diesel442117,398 miles47

Figures are in every 100 first tests.

Same model, other years

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

40608010020002005201020152020Older carsNewer cars
4060801002000200520102020Newer 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, 47 in every 100 passed first time.

YearPassed first timeFirst tests
199953 in every 100352
200052 in every 100723
200154 in every 1001,453
200254 in every 1002,429
200351 in every 1003,712
200450 in every 1005,667
2005 This car50 in every 1006,971
200648 in every 10011,297
200746 in every 10015,443
200846 in every 10012,941
200946 in every 10014,127
201046 in every 10020,410
201145 in every 10015,582
201246 in every 10013,335
201353 in every 10018,839
201452 in every 10024,737
201555 in every 10022,966
201656 in every 10021,346
201763 in every 10018,461
201868 in every 10018,935
201973 in every 10016,484
202083 in every 10010,443
202185 in every 1008,884
202288 in every 1007,466

If you are buying one

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

Mileage matters most on a 2005 Clio.

Of 2005 Clio vehicles with under 59,000 miles, 59 in every 100 passed their 2025 MOT first time. With 118,000 miles or more, 48 in every 100 did.

Under 59,0001,432 tests
59
59,000–79,0001,377 tests
48
79,000–96,000 Typical car1,336 tests
46
96,000–118,0001,439 tests
47
118,000 and over1,376 tests
48

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 59,00079,000–96,000118,000 and over
Headlight aim4.25.37.0
Suspension arm ball joint (front)3.66.15.8
Airbag warning light3.46.05.3
Individual sidelight or tail light (front)1.36.36.2
Number plate lights3.14.95.3

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

When a car fails

18in every 100

of failed cars had one item to fix.

63in every 100

of failed cars had three or more items to fix.

10in 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 2005 Renault Clio follows the pattern of the model years either side. Its main cause of failure was Headlight aim, about 11 in every 100 failed tests. In 2025, 49.7% of 6,971 first MOTs on the 2005 Renault Clio passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 57.3%. Among 3,505 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Hazard warning switch appears more often than on similar cars (4.2% of those tests; 146 observed failures; about 22× 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 2005 Renault Clio at the first attempt were Headlight aim (11.4%), Suspension arm ball joint (front) (10.2%) and Airbag warning light (10.1%), 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: Hazard warning switch (4.2% of those tests; 146 observed failures; about 22× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Hazard warning switch shows up more often than on similar cars (4.2% of those tests; 146 observed failures; about 22× 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 2005 Renault Clio include Hazard warning switch, Steering rack (front), Anti-roll bar linkage pins and bushes (front). 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 2005 Renault Clio (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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