Renault Clio common problems by mileage
What UK MOT testers flag on the Renault Clio at each age and mileage, compared with all cars.
In 338,905 UK MOT tests of the Renault Clio in 2023, the problem that most sets it apart from other cars is ball joint (ball joint excessively worn): recorded on 3.2% of tests of 2017–2019 cars at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km), 32× the rate for all cars of that age and mileage. Other stand-out issues: rigid brake pipes (corroded, covered in grease or other material) (13×); steering rack (gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt) (16×); track rod end (ball joint has excessive play) (12×). The most common reasons a Renault Clio fails its MOT are coil spring (fractured or broken); ball joint (ball joint excessively worn); position lamp (not working).
Last updated: · Source: DVSA anonymised MOT data 2023
What stands out on the Renault Clio
Parts that MOT testers flag clearly more often on the Renault Clio than on all cars of the same age at the same mileage (at least 1.5× the rate and 3% of tests).
| Issue | Type | First used | Mileage | Share of tests | All cars this age | Ratio | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn | MOT fail | 2017–2019 | 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) | 3.2% | 0.1% | 32× | 27,331 |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material | Advisory | 2017–2019 | 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) | 3.9% | 0.3% | 13× | 13,165 |
| Steering rack: gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | MOT fail | 2003–2005 | 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) | 4.7% | 0.3% | 16× | 1,783 |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play | MOT fail | 2008–2010 | 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) | 3.7% | 0.3% | 12× | 3,885 |
| Track rod end: ball joint has slight play | Advisory | 2008–2010 | 0k–20k mi (0k–32k km) | 3% | 0.2% | 15× | 701 |
| Pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement | Advisory | 2020–2022 | 0k–20k mi (0k–32k km) | 3.3% | 0.3% | 11× | 6,556 |
| Ball joint: ball joint has slight play | Advisory | 2016–2018 | 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) | 3.6% | 0.5% | 7.2× | 19,197 |
| Linkage pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement | Advisory | 2003–2005 | 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) | 9.7% | 1.3% | 7.5× | 4,082 |
Renault Clio by mileage (2017–2019 cars)
The most-tested first-use years. For each mileage band: how many MOT tests, the most common item, and the item that stands out most against other cars.
| Mileage | Tests | Most common | Stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0k–20k mi (0k–32k km) | 10,741 | Tyres (condition): slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (13%) | Brake discs: worn, but not excessively (3.1%, 5.2×) |
| 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) | 27,331 | Tyres (condition): slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (16%) | Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn (3.2%, 32×) |
| 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) | 13,165 | Tyres (tread depth): worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (17%) | Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn (6.1%, 20×) |
| 60k–80k mi (97k–129k km) | 3,658 | Tyres (tread depth): worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (18%) | Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn (8%, 20×) |
| 80k–100k mi (129k–161k km) | 1,015 | Tyres (tread depth): worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (21%) | Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn (7.7%, 13×) |
| 100k–120k mi (161k–193k km) | 307 | Tyres (tread depth): worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (23%) | Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn (11%, 16×) |
Renault Clio by first-use year
| First used | Tests | Biggest stand-out issue |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 297 | Linkage pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement at 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) (5.8×) |
| 1999 | 659 | Steering rack: gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt at 80k–100k mi (129k–161k km) (13×) |
| 2000 | 1,382 | Linkage pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (6.9×) |
| 2001 | 2,474 | Linkage pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (6.6×) |
| 2002 | 4,292 | Pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (7.7×) |
| 2003 | 6,500 | Steering rack: gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (14×) |
| 2004 | 9,451 | Steering rack: gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (16×) |
| 2005 | 11,475 | Linkage pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement at 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) (7×) |
| 2006 | 18,653 | Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play at 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) (6.1×) |
| 2007 | 23,828 | Track rod end: ball joint has slight play at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (7×) |
| 2008 | 18,690 | Track rod end: ball joint has slight play at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (11×) |
| 2009 | 18,596 | Track rod end: ball joint has slight play at 0k–20k mi (0k–32k km) (15×) |
| 2010 | 25,694 | Track rod end: ball joint has slight play at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (8.5×) |
| 2011 | 18,619 | Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (11×) |
| 2012 | 15,345 | Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (6×) |
| 2013 | 20,692 | Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (10×) |
| 2014 | 26,714 | Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (14×) |
| 2015 | 24,454 | Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (18×) |
| 2016 | 22,494 | Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (23×) |
| 2017 | 19,392 | Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (26×) |
| 2018 | 19,831 | Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (32×) |
| 2019 | 17,130 | Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn at 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) (18×) |
| 2020 | 10,866 | Wheels (condition): slightly distorted at 60k–80k mi (97k–129k km) (6.4×) |
| 2021 | 536 | Pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement at 0k–20k mi (0k–32k km) (11×) |
How these numbers are made
From the DVSA anonymised MOT data for 2023: every normal MOT test of a car in Great Britain, with its mileage and every advisory and failure item. For each first-use year (pooled with the years either side) and 20,000-mile band we count the share of tests where a part was recorded, and compare it with the same share for every car of that age at that mileage. A cell is shown only with 300 or more tests. Advisories are tester notes, not failures. Figures describe UK-market cars; engines and equipment can differ in other countries.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (DVSA anonymised MOT data, 2023).
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the Renault Clio?
In 338,905 UK MOT tests of the Renault Clio in 2023, the problem that most sets it apart from other cars is ball joint (ball joint excessively worn): recorded on 3.2% of tests of 2017–2019 cars at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km), 32× the rate for all cars of that age and mileage. Other stand-out issues: rigid brake pipes (corroded, covered in grease or other material) (13×); steering rack (gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt) (16×); track rod end (ball joint has excessive play) (12×). The most common reasons a Renault Clio fails its MOT are coil spring (fractured or broken); ball joint (ball joint excessively worn); position lamp (not working).
Why do Renault Clios fail the MOT?
Across 338,905 MOT tests in 2023, the most common failure items on the Renault Clio were coil spring (fractured or broken) (11% of tests); ball joint (ball joint excessively worn) (8.8% of tests); position lamp (not working) (11% of tests).
At what mileage do Renault Clio problems start?
The clearest Renault Clio-specific issue, ball joint (ball joint excessively worn), peaks against other cars at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) on 2017–2019 cars (3.2% of tests vs 0.1% for all cars that age).
Where does this Renault Clio data come from?
From the UK government's anonymised MOT test data (DVSA, 2023, Open Government Licence v3.0): 338,905 tests of the Renault Clio. VinSnap shows the same numbers for your own car's age and mileage in the app.