Used car guide

2012 Citroen C5: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2012 Citroen C5s, from 336 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

Small sample: only 336 of these were MOT tested in 2025, so treat the percentages as rough. The known faults below don't depend on it.

336MOT tests in 2025
62%pass first time (all 2012 cars: 63%)
8,300typical miles a year
4.3×the usual rate for drive shaft (cv) joints

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2012 Citroen C5s than on all cars registered in 2012.

  • Drive shaft (CV) joints4.3× usual
    Citroen C5
    19% All 2012 cars
    4.4%

    Failed outright at MOT: 12.5%, against 2.1% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £60–£350 our estimate

    At the viewing: Drive slowly on full steering lock in both directions and listen for clicking. Look for split rubber boots behind the front wheels.

  • Anti-roll bar link joints4.7× usual
    Citroen C5
    15.2% All 2012 cars
    3.2%

    Failed outright at MOT: 3%, against 1.2% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.

By area

The share of 2012 Citroen C5 MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Suspension
    43% 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.

  • Tyres
    35% 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.

  • Lights and electrics
    30% of testsRough price £10–£80

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

  • Brakes
    25% 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.

  • Driveshafts and joints
    19% of testsRough price £60–£350

    At the viewing: On full steering lock, drive slowly and listen for clicking from the front wheels.

  • Oil and fluid leaks
    11% of testsRough price £80–£600

    At the viewing: Look under the engine and on the ground where the car is usually parked for fresh oil or fluid.

Known faults

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)

Looking at a Citroen C5?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2021941Tyres 28%
20205,125Tyres 30%
20196,602Tyres 30%
2015177Tyres 28%
2014225Suspension 32%
2013326Suspension 32%
2011497Suspension 44%
2010946Suspension 45%
20091,329Suspension 44%
2008878Suspension 46%
2007321Suspension 43%
2006315Suspension 43%
2005224Suspension 40%
2004272Lights and electrics 43%
2003227Brakes 47%
2002173Brakes 42%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2012 Citroen C5s registered in 2012. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score