Used car guide · 1987–1997

Citroen AX common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong on a used Citroen AX, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 453 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.

The 1987 Citroen AX

Our MOT figures start with cars first registered in 1990. There are no known faults on record for this year in the UK buying guides we use, so the rest of this page covers the Citroen AX as a whole.

11on the UK register at the end of 2025
Petrolmost common fuel (also diesel)
What to check on a 1987 car
  • MOT history

    Check the reg below: its MOT history shows what has been failed or advised, and whether the mileage adds up.

  • Service history

    Look for regular servicing and receipts for big jobs like a cambelt or clutch.

  • Finance and write-offs

    MOT records don’t show outstanding finance or insurance write-offs. A history check does.

  • Test drive

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check every warning light goes out, and make sure the gears and brakes feel right.

Other years

Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).

19971996199519941993199219911990198919881987

What usually goes wrong with a Citroen AX?

We haven’t found widely reported faults for the Citroen AX in the UK buying guides we use yet. That doesn’t mean it has none, so check the car carefully and look at the MOT weak spots below.

Citroen AX MOT pass rate by year

Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.

YearPass first timeAll cars that yearMOT tests
199656%66% -10179 (small sample)
199555%67% -12162 (small sample)
199468%67% +1112 (small sample)

Looking at a Citroen AX?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score