Citroen
5,620 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Relay 35 L2h2 Eprise Bhdi S/ss pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 3.8 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
73.8%
Pass-after-fix
5.9%
Fail
19.5%
Avg miles
55,712
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Diesel cars registered from September 2015 generally meet Euro 6 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 5,620 tests
Pass rate drops 1.8 points across the cohorts — recent Relay 35 L2h2 Eprise Bhdi S/s examples are doing worse than the early cars at the same tested age.
Pass
74.6%
Fail
19.8%
PRS
5.2%
Avg mileage at test
62,452 mi
Pass
72.8%
Fail
19.3%
PRS
6.8%
Avg mileage at test
48,006 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,987 MOT tests, the Relay 35 L2h2 Eprise Bhdi S/S returns 75.1% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A weak handbrake and brake pads worn below 1.5 mm round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 49,871, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
26–36
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Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
312 occurrences · 5.6% of tests
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
193 occurrences · 3.4% of tests
Obligatory mirror or device slightly damaged or loose
152 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
150 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
140 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
138 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
A lens defective which has no effect on emitted light
132 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
130 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
82 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
81 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£36–£140
If every one of this Relay 35 L2h2 Eprise Bhdi S/s's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 1.8-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Citroen Relay 35 L2h2 Eprise Bhdi S/s makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
74.6%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 74.6% — a 1.8-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, efficiency below requirements — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.
Band to be cautious about
72.8%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 72.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 74.6% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, and less than 1.5 mm thick. Average mileage on test for this band is 48,006 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (74.6% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (72.8% pass). That's a 1.8-point spread across 2,633 older tests and 2,987 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Replacement wing mirror glass
A cracked mirror glass on the offside is a fail; nearside is an advisory. £8 of self-adhesive replacement glass clears it.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Summit
Summit ADRG-169 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS
£9.89
View at My Motor World →
Summit
Summit ADRG-170 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
£9.89
View at My Motor World →
Summit
Summit ADRG-48 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS
£9.89
View at My Motor World →
Summit
Summit ADRG-49 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
£9.89
View at My Motor World →
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
Book a mechanic at your door.
Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Relay 35 L2h2 Eprise Bhdi S/s and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
