Model Reports 4 min read Updated 18 Oct 2026

Renault Clio 2008: reliability & common MOT faults

In 2025, 46 in every 100 first MOTs on a 2008 Renault Clio were passes. Most common reason for a fail: Individual sidelight or tail light (front).

Summary

The 2008 Renault Clio follows the pattern of the model years either side.

At a glance

How 12,941 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time
46 in every 100
Did not pass first time
54 in every 1007,009 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car
17 yearsabout 91,828 miles
First tests counted
12,941

What failed most often

  1. Individual sidelight or tail light (front)21 in every 100 failed tests
  2. Track rod end (front)15 in every 100 failed tests
  3. Suspension arm ball joint (front)14 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 2008 Renault Clio 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.

Seat belts and restraints

One fault: seat belt condition (rear), 4.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 6,994 of 7,009 failed first attempts (99.8%) 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.

Seat belt condition (rear)

Failed on 254 first tests4.6 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.

Steering

One fault: track rod end (front), 3.9 times as often as on similar cars.

Track rod end (front)

Failed on 1,033 first tests3.9 times as often as similar carsLikely 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 351 first tests, 4.1 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

Two faults. The strongest is the suspension arm ball joint (front): 2.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Suspension arm ball joint (front)

Failed on 986 first tests2.6 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.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 357 first tests, 2.4 times as often as on similar cars.

Coil spring (rear)

Failed on 569 first tests2.3 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A missing bump stop rubber is not a reason to fail a coil spring. When the vehicle is jacked and lowered, a spring that does not correctly locate as the suspension returns to its normal running position is rejected as insecurely attached. A missing spring is Major, and graded Dangerous where directional control is affected.

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

Lamps and electrical

One fault: individual direction indicators (rear), 2.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Individual direction indicators (rear)

Failed on 379 first tests2.6 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Direction indicators must be amber, though vehicles first used before a set date may have white at the front and red at the rear when the indicators are combined with stop or position lamps, and sequential or dynamic ones are not a reason to fail. A lamp that is missing, inoperative or has more than half of a multiple light source not functioning is graded Major. A flashing rate outside the permitted range is graded Minor.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 314 first tests, 3.0 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.

Brakes

One fault and one wear pattern. The strongest is the handbrake lever: 2.4 times as often as on similar cars.

Handbrake lever

Failed on 143 first tests2.4 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A parking brake lever pivot or ratchet mechanism that is obviously worn is graded Minor. It is Major when worn to the extent that the brake may inadvertently release, and also when the ratchet is not holding correctly. A lever must have obvious excessive travel before being rejected.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 33 first tests, 3.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Brake discs (front)

Failed on 247 first tests2.3 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. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

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.

Brake light (rear)

Noted on 184 first tests3.7 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Individual sidelight or tail light (rear)

Noted on 43 first tests3.4 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Brake pedal

Noted on 88 first tests3.3 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Wheel condition (rear)

Noted on 221 first tests2.9 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Wheel condition (front)

Noted on 297 first tests2.8 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
46in every 100
Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station
9in every 100
Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed
45in every 100
Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 45.8% of 12,941 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 55.1%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 9 fixed and the 45 not fixed make the 54 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Petrol and diesel

First testsTypical mileagePassed first time, as testedPassed first time, same mileage
Petrol11,21788,773 miles4645
Diesel1,724115,644 miles4749

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.

40608010020002005200820152020Older carsNewer cars
406080100200020082020Older carsNewer cars

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb.

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
200550 in every 1006,971
200648 in every 10011,297
200746 in every 10015,443
2008 This car46 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 2008 Clio.

Of 2008 Clio vehicles with under 65,000 miles, 57 in every 100 passed their 2025 MOT first time. With 119,000 miles or more, 41 in every 100 did.

Under 65,0002,609 tests
57
65,000–84,0002,607 tests
47
84,000–99,000 Typical car2,471 tests
44
99,000–119,0002,704 tests
39
119,000 and over2,531 tests
41

Petrol or diesel?

Typical mileagePassed first time,
as tested		Passed first time,
same mileage
Petrol88,773 miles4645
Diesel115,644 miles4749

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 65,00084,000–99,000119,000 and over
Individual sidelight or tail light (front)6.511.813.3
Track rod end (front)4.19.19.3
Suspension arm ball joint (front)3.47.810.9
Coil spring (front)6.26.25.6
Windscreen washers3.95.55.8

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

When a car fails

20in every 100

of failed cars had one item to fix.

58in every 100

of failed cars had three or more items to fix.

11in 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 2008 Renault Clio follows the pattern of the model years either side. Its main cause of failure was Individual sidelight or tail light (front), about 21 in every 100 failed tests. In 2025, 45.8% of 12,941 first MOTs on the 2008 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 55.1%. Among 7,009 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Seat belt condition (rear) appears more often than on similar cars (3.6% of those tests; 254 observed failures; about 4.6× 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 2008 Renault Clio at the first attempt were Individual sidelight or tail light (front) (20.7%), Track rod end (front) (14.8%) and Suspension arm ball joint (front) (14.1%), 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: Seat belt condition (rear) (3.6% of those tests; 254 observed failures; about 4.6× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Seat belt condition (rear) shows up more often than on similar cars (3.6% of those tests; 254 observed failures; about 4.6× 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 2008 Renault Clio include Seat belt condition (rear), Track rod end (front), Suspension arm ball joint (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 2008 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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