Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 6,971 tests analysed

Renault Clio 2005: reliability & common MOT faults

3,505 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2005 Renault Clio in 2025. The items recorded most often on them were Headlamp aim and Ball joint (front). Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Petrol Clios passed first time 3.3 pp more often than diesel ones (49.9% of 6,529 vs 46.6% of 442).

First-attempt pass

49.7%

of 6,971 first tests (2025)

First tests

6,971

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

3,505

failed first-attempt tests

Most common fail

11.4%

Headlamp aim

MOT pass rates

First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.

First-attempt pass

49.7%

of 6,971 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

57.3%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

6,971

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 20.0 yrs · median mileage 87,164 mi

vs 2024: +2.7 pp first-attempt

Note:

  • Class 4 cars · first MOT of the year per vehicle · P/PRS/F outcomes (2025 data).
  • PRS (fixed at the station the same day) counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate.
  • Raw outcomes for this cohort — not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix.
  • MOT doesn't test engine or gearbox internals.

Common faults

Failure patterns that show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars.

These MOT failure patterns show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars of the same class, age, and mileage.

Shares below are measured across the 3,500 of 3,505 failed first attempts (99.9%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025 — the subset the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Hazard warning — Switch — 4.2% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 146 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 22× more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. That is what makes it unusual for its class, which is a different question from what is most likely to fail; the buying checklist ranks by that. The full ranked list is in the table below.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Hazard warning — Switch
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Hazard warning > Switch
 Any 146 ×22 4.2% Strong
Steering rack (front)
Steering > Steering gear > Steering rack
 Front 246 ×9.3 7.0% Strong
Linkage pins and bushes (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage pins and bushes
 Front 180 ×8.0 5.1% Strong
SRS malfunction indicator lamp
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems > SRS malfunction indicator lamp
 Any 354 ×3.5 10.1% Likely
Seat belts — Condition (rear)
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems > Seat belts > Condition
 Rear 93 ×3.4 2.7% Likely
Registration plate lamp(s)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Registration plate lamp(s)
 Any 329 ×3.2 9.4% Likely
Wheel bearings (rear)
Suspension > Wheel bearings
 Rear 153 ×2.9 4.4% Possible
Shock absorbers (front)
Suspension > Shock absorbers
 Front 136 ×2.5 3.9% Possible
Ball joint (front)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Ball joint
 Front 357 ×2.2 10.2% Possible
Track rod end (front)
Steering > Steering linkage components > Track rod end
 Front 295 ×2.2 8.4% Possible

Only patterns that clear minimum sample and elevation thresholds are shown (at least 20 failures and about 2.0× more often than similar cars).

Note: Rates and comparisons are among first-attempt failed tests, not all MOTs. Patterns come from MOT defect codes — not manufacturer service bulletins, recalls, or a diagnosis of any individual car. Failures and advisories are listed separately.

Advisories

Notes recorded at the test that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory notes recorded on failed first-attempt tests that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory pattern Location Notes vs similar cars Share Confidence
Position lamp (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Position lamps > Position lamp
 Rear 117 ×11 3.3% Elevated
Linkage pins and bushes (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage pins and bushes
 Front 362 ×8.4 10.3% Strong
Brake fluid
Brakes > Hydraulic systems > Brake fluid
 Any 28 ×5.5 0.8% Elevated
Pins and bushes (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Pins and bushes
 Front 103 ×3.9 2.9% Possible
Stop lamp (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Stop lamp
 Rear 118 ×3.8 3.4% Elevated
Exhaust system (rear)
Body, chassis, structure > Exhaust system
 Rear 377 ×3.5 10.8% Elevated
Road Wheels — Condition (rear)
Road Wheels > Condition
 Rear 96 ×3.4 2.7% Elevated
Anti-roll bar (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Anti-roll bar
 Front 37 ×3.4 1.1% Elevated
Note: Advisories are not a fail rate — they flag issues noted at the test, often before they become failures.

If you are buying one

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

On this year, prefer the petrol. The diesel cars passed first time 3.3 pp less often, on 442 tests.

What to check on a 2005 Clio

The items that failed 2005 Clios most often, as a share of the year's failed first attempts. This is what goes wrong, not what is unusual — the table further up the page covers that.

  • Headlamp aim — recorded on 11.4% of failed first attempts
  • Ball joint (front) — recorded on 10.2% of failed first attempts
  • SRS malfunction indicator lamp — recorded on 10.1% of failed first attempts
  • Position lamp (front) — recorded on 9.7% of failed first attempts
  • Registration plate lamp(s) — recorded on 9.4% of failed first attempts

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line. 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.

Petrol Clios passed first time 3.3 pp more often than diesel ones (49.9% of 6,529 vs 46.6% of 442). 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…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2005 Renault Clios most often at the first attempt were Headlamp aim (11.4%), Ball joint (front) (10.2%) and SRS malfunction indicator lamp (10.1%) — each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong on the car. It is a different question from which patterns are unusual for the class, which the common-faults table answe…
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 check point, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2005 Renault Clio include Hazard warning — Switch, Steering rack (front), Linkage pins and bushes (front). These patterns show up more often than on similar cars after we filter out sparse noise — not a full list of every possible fault on an 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.
  • We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks when those data marts are missing.

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

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