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Citroën C2, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

5,899 Citroën C2s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 52.9% of initial MOT tests, 19.4 points below the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific C2? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Citroën C2 at the MOT

52.9% of 8,207 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the C2 557th of 575 models.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Citroën C252.9%
  • All Citroën modelsThe C2 is 10.6 pts behind63.5%
  • All cars72.3%

Where C2s fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Citroën C2 tests in 2025.

  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment25.6%
  • Suspension25.3%
  • Body, chassis, structure13.1%
  • Brakes11.6%
  • Visibility7.9%

The items testers recorded most often were component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (6.4%), wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (4.2%) and joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (4.2%).

The MOT page lists every common C2 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Citroën C2 MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The C2's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

    Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.25.6% of C2 failure items

  2. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.25.3% of C2 failure items

  3. Body, chassis, structure

    Look underneath and along the sills for corrosion, and check for damaged or poorly repaired panels.13.1% of C2 failure items

Citroën C2s in the UK

5,899 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 89% since the end of 2014.

Change since 2014
−89%from 52,589 licensed
Typical year of first use
2007half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2007 or earlier
Declared off the road
5,39248% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Citroën C2s since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 201452,589
End of 201549,243
End of 201645,535
End of 201740,553
End of 201834,773
End of 201928,860
End of 202023,596
End of 202118,407
End of 202215,008
End of 202312,092
End of 20249,233
End of 20256,844
End of June 20265,899

How old they are

Licensed Citroën C2s by year of first use.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025
2010179
20091,520
20081,133
20071,228
20061,004
2005970
2004695
200374

C2 engines and fuel

1.1 litre engines made up 48% of Citroën C2 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.4 litre at 32%. Petrol accounts for 85% of licensed C2s and diesel for 15%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 8,207 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 1.1 litre48.4%
  • 1.4 litre31.8%
  • 1.6 litre19.8%

Fuel type, licensed C2s

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol5,02685%
Diesel87215%
Gas1<0.1%

Citroën C2 recalls

11 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Citroën C2. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every C2 is affected.

  1. Oct 2010 R/2010/155

    Lights may fail without warning

    C2s built Jul 2007 to Mar 2008 · 12,950 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    It has been identified that the position of the exterior lighting control ring may not be detected by the lighting management system and the lights may switch off without warning.
    Remedy
    Recalled vehicles will have the lighting management software updated.

  2. Oct 2009 R/2009/113

    Lights may switch off unexpectedly

    C2s built Dec 2006 to Mar 2008 · 37,086 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    It has been identified that due to incorrect positioning of the exterior lighting control ring by the lighting management system the lights may switch off unexpectedly.
    Remedy
    Recalled vehicles will have the lighting management software updated

  3. Oct 2009 R/2009/096

    Parking brake may fail

    C2s built Jan 2009 to Feb 2009 · 754 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The parking brake may fail due to the cable not being manufactured to specification.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to replace the parking brakes cables.

  4. Dec 2008 R/2008/199

    Wipers / lights/ battery charging may be affected

    C2s built Feb 2008 to Jun 2008 · 6,031 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    An incorrect engine relay unit may have been fitted. This ECU could deteriorate and cause operating faults and perhaps failure of certain equipment
    Remedy
    Recall affected vehicles check Engine Relay Unit and replace if not correct specification.

  5. Oct 2008 R/2008/150

    Front suspension wishbone could become loose

    C2s built Jan 2008 to Mar 2008 · 4,652 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The tightening torque for the front suspension wishbone mounting bolts has proved insufficient. This can lead to loosening represented by abnormal noise
    Remedy
    Recall affected vehicles and retorque front suspension wishbone bolts

  6. Sep 2008 R/2008/134

    Rear seat cushion may become insecure

    C2s built Mar 2008 · 18 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Following a manufacturing issue the rear sear cushion fixings may become damaged and the cushion may not stay in place
    Remedy
    Recall affected vehicles and replace rear seat cushion fixings

  7. Dec 2006 R/2006/225

    Braking efficiency may reduce

    C2s built Jun 2006 to Aug 2006 · 4,032 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    If the battery voltage is abnormally low the antilock braking system electronic control unit may not perform to specification which in rare cases may cause a reduction in braking efficiency.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to replace the Electronic Control Unit.

  8. Mar 2006 R/2006/051

    Accelerator pedal returns too slowly

    C2s built Sep 2005 to Dec 2005 · 9,868 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    It has been identified that the accelerator pedal can return too slowly. This can have an effect on the driving of the vehicle
    Remedy
    Recalled vehicles will have the accelerator pedal replaced.
How to check a specific C2 for recalls

Other Citroën models

The most-tested Citroën models in 2025, against the C2's 52.9% MOT pass rate.

All 21 Citroën models

Citroën C2 FAQs

How many Citroën C2s are there in the UK?

5,899 Citroën C2s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 5,392 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Citroën C2 reliable?

MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 52.9% first-time pass rate for the Citroën C2 across 8,207 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Citroën C2 had any recalls?

11 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Citroën C2. The most recent was published in October 2010. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

What should I check before buying a used Citroën C2?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension and body, chassis, structure. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

How do I check a Citroën C2's history?

Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.

Already found a C2?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Citroën history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Citroen VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.