Citroën C3 Aircross, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
52,268 Citroën C3 Aircrosses are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 84.6% of initial MOT tests, 12.3 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific C3 Aircross? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Citroën C3 Aircross at the MOT
84.6% of 35,783 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the C3 Aircross 124th of 575 models. Citroën C3 Aircrosses aged 3 to 5 years passed 87.5% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 78.4%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Citroën C3 Aircross tests in 2025.
Where C3 Aircrosses fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Citroën C3 Aircross tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (12.1%), brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick (8.3%) and brake discs significantly and obviously worn (7.2%).
The MOT page lists every common C3 Aircross MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The C3 Aircross's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.24.9% of C3 Aircross failure items
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Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.21% of C3 Aircross failure items
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Body, chassis, structure
Look underneath and along the sills for corrosion, and check for damaged or poorly repaired panels.18% of C3 Aircross failure items
Citroën C3 Aircrosses in the UK
52,268 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 168% since the end of 2019.
- Change since 2019
- +168%from 19,499 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2020half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2020 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 3,173against 9,953 in 2019
- Declared off the road
- 3630.7% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Citroën C3 Aircrosses since 2017
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2017 | 964 |
| End of 2018 | 10,419 |
| End of 2019 | 19,499 |
| End of 2020 | 23,887 |
| End of 2021 | 28,255 |
| End of 2022 | 34,892 |
| End of 2023 | 39,520 |
| End of 2024 | 45,086 |
| End of 2025 | 47,891 |
| End of June 2026 | 52,268 |
How old they are
Licensed Citroën C3 Aircrosses by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,068 | 3,173 |
| 2024 | 5,562 | 5,752 |
| 2023 | 5,160 | 5,358 |
| 2022 | 5,868 | 6,493 |
| 2021 | 4,170 | 4,384 |
| 2020 | 4,438 | 4,609 |
| 2019 | 9,456 | 9,953 |
| 2018 | 9,261 | 9,894 |
| 2017 | 901 | 967 |
C3 Aircross engines and fuel
1.2 litre engines made up 94% of Citroën C3 Aircross MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.5 litre at 3.4%. Petrol accounts for 88% of licensed C3 Aircrosses and hybrid electric for 7.8%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 35,783 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed C3 Aircrosses
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 45,861 | 88% |
| Diesel | 2,355 | 5% |
| Hybrid electric | 4,052 | 8% |
Citroën C3 Aircross recalls
17 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Citroën C3 Aircross. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every C3 Aircross is affected.
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Mar 2026 R/2026/122
Alarm triggered randomly - BCM software
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles due to a Body Control Module (BCM) software weakness an alarm siren may randomly trigger when the vehicle is locked.
- Remedy
- Update the BCM software.
-
Mar 2026 R/2026/073
Alternator protection
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles may have been assembled with contact or with a reduced clearance between the Gasoline Particulate Filter pipe and the pole protection cap of the 48V Belt Starter Generator. There is a possibility of contact between these components leading to water infiltration and an electrical arch which could trigger a thermal event.
- Remedy
- Replace the pole protection cap of the 48V Belt Starter Generator. Check the distance between the Gasoline Particulate Filter pipe and the pole protection cap of the 48V Belt Starter Generator and re-position or replace the pipe if required.
-
Nov 2025 R/2025/514
Citroen C3 C3 Aircross Brake Pedal Bracket Connection
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles there may be an insufficient brake pedal bracket connection due to a missing or incorrectly assembled pin. If the pin falls out the brake pedal will potentially disengage.
- Remedy
- Check the brake pedal connection confirm proper assembly and rework it if necessary.
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Sep 2025 R/2025/363
Citroen C3 C3 Aircross Risk of Brake Bar Welding Breakage
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles there is a risk of the brake bar welding breaking leading to a complete loss of braking.
- Remedy
- Currently there is no determined remedy. You are advised not to drive the vehicle. The repairer will arrange a replacement mobility solution.
-
Aug 2025 R/2025/346
Emission recall - On Board Diagnostics
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Vehicles may be affected by incorrect performance of the On-Board-Diagnostics related to Selective Catalytic Reduction system and/or Diesel Particle Filter. The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) may not illuminate in the event of a malfunction and therefore does not comply with emission regulations.
- Remedy
- Update the Engine Control Unit software to ensure compliance to regulations.
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Jul 2025 R/2025/247
Citroen DV5R Engines Camshaft Chain
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Vehicles may be affected by premature wearing of the camshaft drive chain leading to abnormal noise or to a breakage of the chain in the worst case.
- Remedy
- Update the software to improve oil pressure and reduce wear. Check the engine noise and replace the chain if required. If no problem found change the oil to one with higher viscosity and special anti-wear additives.
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Jan 2025 R/2025/012
Citroen C3 C4 C4X Selective Catalytic Reduction diagnosis issues
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the Engine Control Unit (ECU) software is not according to specification.
- Remedy
- Upload modified software to the ECU.
-
Mar 2024 R/2024/136
Cross carline Engine software
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles below 12500 miles under certain conditions engine emissions may lead to a non-compliance to regulatory requirements.
- Remedy
- Check the mileage of the vehicle and update the ECU (Engine Control Unit) calibration on vehicles below 12500 miles.
Other Citroën models
The most-tested Citroën models in 2025, against the C3 Aircross's 84.6% MOT pass rate.
Citroën C3 Aircross FAQs
How many Citroën C3 Aircrosses are there in the UK?
52,268 Citroën C3 Aircrosses were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 363 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Citroën C3 Aircross 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 an 84.6% first-time pass rate for the Citroën C3 Aircross across 35,783 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Citroën C3 Aircross had any recalls?
17 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Citroën C3 Aircross. The most recent was published in March 2026. 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 C3 Aircross?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: brakes, tyres 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 C3 Aircross'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 C3 Aircross?
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.