Used car guide

2017 Citroen Nemo: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2017 Citroen Nemos, from 452 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

Small sample: only 452 of these were MOT tested in 2025, so treat the percentages as rough. The known faults below don't depend on it.

452MOT tests in 2025
65%pass first time (all 2017 cars: 78%)
9,400typical miles a year
4.5×the usual rate for coil springs

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2017 Citroen Nemos than on all cars registered in 2017.

  • Coil springs4.5× usual
    Citroen Nemo
    13.1% All 2017 cars
    2.9%

    Failed outright at MOT: 11.1%, against 2% of all 2017 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £175–£400 (pair, one axle) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Look behind each wheel for a snapped spring coil, and listen for a clunk or twang when turning the wheel lock to lock with the car stopped.

  • Shock absorbers3.5× usual
    Citroen Nemo
    12.8% All 2017 cars
    3.7%

    Failed outright at MOT: 6%, against 0.7% of all 2017 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £200–£300 (pair, average rear to front) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Push down hard on each corner. It should bounce once and settle. Look for oil on the shock absorber body.

  • Number plate lights4.4× usual
    Citroen Nemo
    10.6% All 2017 cars
    2.4%

    Failed outright at MOT: 2.4%, against 0.7% of all 2017 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.

  • Engine oil leaks4.7× usual
    Citroen Nemo
    9.3% All 2017 cars
    2%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0%, against 0.1% of all 2017 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £80–£600 our estimate

    At the viewing: Look under the engine and where the car is usually parked for fresh oil. Ask whether the leak has been looked at.

  • Windscreen3× usual
    Citroen Nemo
    6.6% All 2017 cars
    2.2%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.4%, against 0.1% of all 2017 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £60–£300 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check for chips or cracks in the driver's view.

By area

The share of 2017 Citroen Nemo MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    37% 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.

  • Suspension
    31% 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.

  • Lights and electrics
    25% 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
    17% 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.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    14% of testsRough price £15–£250

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

  • 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)

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2018146Tyres 36%
2016983Suspension 38%
20151,593Suspension 43%
20141,421Suspension 45%
20131,240Suspension 47%
20121,252Suspension 44%
20111,030Suspension 48%
20102,005Suspension 51%
20091,895Suspension 54%
2008395Suspension 57%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2017 Citroen Nemos registered in 2017. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score