2016 Citroen C3 petrol: common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2016 Citroen C3 petrol?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2016 Citroen C3 petrol than on all cars registered in 2016.

• Exhaust system6.3× usual
  Citroen C3

  10.7% All 2016 cars

  1.7%

  Failed outright at MOT: 2.1%, against 0.4% of all 2016 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £100–£500 (pipe or section) ClickMechanic

  At the viewing: Listen for blowing or rattling from underneath at idle, and look for black soot around joints.

• Tyre condition1.6× usual
  Citroen C3

  21.3% All 2016 cars

  13.2%

  Failed outright at MOT: 4.5%, against 3.6% of all 2016 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £70–£150 our estimate

  At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges. Uneven wear can point to tracking or suspension problems.

• Individual direction indicators5× usual
  Citroen C3

  2.5% All 2016 cars

  0.5%

  Failed outright at MOT: 0.6%, against 0.2% of all 2016 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

  At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

• Brake lights2.2× usual
  Citroen C3

  3.5% All 2016 cars

  1.6%

  Failed outright at MOT: 3.4%, against 1.3% of all 2016 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

  At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

• Number plate lights1.6× usual
  Citroen C3

  4.4% All 2016 cars

  2.7%

  Failed outright at MOT: 1.2%, against 0.8% of all 2016 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £5–£40 our estimate

  At the viewing: Check the number plate lights work and the plates are clean and legal.

Common 2016 Citroen C3 petrol MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2016 Citroen C3 petrol MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

• Tyres
  32% of testsRough price £70–£150

  At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

• Brakes
  21% of testsRough price £150–£350

  At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

• Lights and electrics
  17% of testsRough price £10–£80

  At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

• Suspension
  17% of testsRough price £120–£400

  At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

• Exhaust and emissions
  12% of testsRough price £100–£1,200

  At the viewing: Look for black soot in the tailpipe, listen for blowing from the exhaust and check for an engine warning light.

• Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
  8% of testsRough price £15–£250

  At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

Known faults on the 2016 Citroen C3 petrol

Reported by owners, mechanics and buying guides for this model and age. Check which engine the car has, as some apply to one engine only.

• Timing belt that runs in oil (PureTech petrol)

  1.0 and 1.2 PureTech petrol

  The 1.0 and 1.2 PureTech petrol engines use a timing belt that runs in the engine oil (a “wet belt”). It can break down early and shed rubber that blocks the oil supply, which can wreck the engine. Some also burn too much oil. Stellantis now covers earlier engines for belt and oil-burning problems for up to 10 years or 112,000 miles, as long as the car has been serviced on schedule.

  At the viewing: Ask for a full service history showing the right oil, and when the belt was last checked or changed. Check the oil level on the dipstick, and that no oil-pressure or engine warning light stays on.

  Source: Parkers: Stellantis wet belt compensation, and the cars at risk, Stellantis: compensation policy for earlier PureTech 1.0 and 1.2 engines (7 May 2025)

• Won't start: in-tank fuel pump

  Petrol

  A failing low-pressure fuel pump inside the tank can leave the car cranking but not firing.

  At the viewing: Start the car from cold yourself.

  Source: Haynes: Citroen C3 Mk2 common problems

• Alternator failure

  All engines

  Headlights that brighten and dim are an early sign of a failing alternator, which will then flatten the battery.

  At the viewing: Watch the lights with the engine idling, and ask whether the battery keeps going flat.

  If it needs doing: Alternator, about £150–£400. ClickMechanic

  Source: Haynes: Citroen C3 Mk2 common problems

• Brake light switch

  All engines

  A faulty brake light switch can leave the brake lights on or stop cruise control working.

  At the viewing: Ask someone to watch the brake lights as you press and release the pedal.

  Source: Haynes: Citroen C3 Mk2 common problems

• Seized handbrake

  All engines

  The rear drum handbrake lever can seize, so the handbrake won't hold or won't release fully.

  At the viewing: Test that the handbrake holds the car on a slope and releases cleanly.

  Source: Haynes: Citroen C3 Mk2 common problems

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2016 Citroen C3 petrol

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

1. When was the timing belt last checked or changed, and has it had the right oil at every service? Is the car still within Stellantis’ extended PureTech cover?
2. Has it ever failed to start?
3. Has the alternator or battery been replaced?
4. Have there been any warning lights?
5. When were the rear brakes last done?
6. Any recent work on the exhaust system? (Flagged at MOT 6.3× as often on the 2016 Citroen C3 petrol as on other cars the same age.)