Which year Citroen Cx is most reliable?

Based on 360 vehicles (1986–1989) and millions of DVLA MOT records.

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The Cx is a relatively young model with only 4 model years in our dataset. All years are closely matched — differences are real but smaller than you'd see on a model with 10+ years of data.

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Not just "newer is more reliable"

These rankings compare each year at the same mileage point — a 2003 Cx at 80,000 miles is judged against a 2014 Cx at 80,000 miles, not its full lifetime average. Verdicts are also relative to this model's own average, not a universal scale. That's the difference between "old cars wear out" and "this year is genuinely more or less reliable."

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Best year in dataset

1989

Highest pass rate at 67.0% — the strongest performer across 127 Cxes

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Below model average

1988

Lower pass rate than other Cxes — worth checking the MOT history before buying

See common failures for 1988 →

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Dataset

360

vehicles · 1986–1989 · millions of MOT records

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CarHunch sweet spot — 1986

These years hit the reliability-to-value sweet spot: a 66.5–66.5% pass rate, well above this model's median, but old enough to have depreciated significantly from peak price. If budget matters alongside reliability, start your search here.

Pass rate by year

Year	Pass rate	Vehicles
1989	67.0%	127	Best year
1988	62.6%	122	Worst year
1986	66.5%	111

Click any year to see full MOT history, common faults and comparisons for those cars. Verdicts are relative to this model's own average — a good Land Rover year is judged differently from a good Toyota year.

How each year holds up at higher mileage

Each line is a different model year. The mileage ranges are divided into 5 equal groups based on how this model is actually driven in the real world — so you're comparing like-for-like, not arbitrary round numbers.

Only years with enough data across at least 3 mileage ranges are shown. Newer years appear in blue; older years in amber.

How is this measured?

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What "pass rate" means

The percentage of all MOT tests that resulted in a pass — counted across a car's whole life, not just its first test. Higher means fewer failures over time.

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Mileage groups built from real data

We split this model's real-world mileage history into 5 equal groups — so each slice contains the same number of cars, not an arbitrary round number like "0–30,000 miles."

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Does age still matter?

Yes. A low-mileage 20-year-old car has still had 20 years of weather, perishing rubber, and ageing electrics. Comparing at the same mileage narrows the gap between old and new — but doesn't erase it entirely.

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Why this beats surveys

Our figures come from the DVLA's national MOT database — over 50 million real test results from accredited garages, with no opinions involved. Most reliability guides are based on owner surveys with a few hundred responses per model.

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