Citroen
10,147 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Relay 35 L3h2 Eprise Bhdi S/ss pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 3.0 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
74.5%
Pass-after-fix
6.4%
Fail
18.3%
Avg miles
60,776
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 · 10,143 tests
Pass rate climbs 1.8 points across the cohorts — newer Relay 35 L3h2 Eprise Bhdi S/s examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
73.6%
Fail
19.5%
PRS
5.9%
Avg mileage at test
67,347 mi
Pass
75.4%
Fail
17.0%
PRS
6.9%
Avg mileage at test
53,888 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 3,468 MOT tests, the Relay 35 L3h2 Eprise Bhdi S/S returns 75.8% 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 55,756, 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
632 occurrences · 6.2% of tests
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
318 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
287 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
Obligatory mirror or device slightly damaged or loose
227 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
222 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
218 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
209 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
A lens defective which has no effect on emitted light
179 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
165 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
151 occurrences · 1.5% 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
£26–£175
If every one of this Relay 35 L3h2 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 L3h2 Eprise Bhdi S/s makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
75.4%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 75.4% — a 1.8-point improvement. Tests in this band average 53,888 miles — roughly 13K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.
Band to be cautious about
73.6%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 73.6% pass rate against a fleet average of 75.4% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, efficiency below requirements, and does not clear the windscreen effectively. Average mileage on test for this band is 67,347 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (75.4% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (73.6% pass). That's a 1.8-point spread across 5,185 older tests and 4,958 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
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
Item 02 · 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 03 · Amazon UK
Headlight restoration kit
Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
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Summit ADRG-170 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
£9.89
View at My Motor World →
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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
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Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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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 L3h2 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.
