MOT cost .
Citroen Relay
MOT 2024

Wikimedia Commons — CC-BY-SA (image-specific)

Citroen

Relay

105,592 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where Relays pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 8.2 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

69.3%

Pass-after-fix

5.5%

Fail

23.8%

Avg miles

106,976

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

Van & commercial →

Trim variants

35 L3h2 Eprise Bhdi S S 74.5% 10,147 35 L2h2 Eprise Bhdi S S 73.8% 5,620 35 HVY L4h2 ENT Bhdi SS 75.5% 2,702

Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 105,592 tests

Pass rate climbs 6.0 points across the cohorts — newer Relay examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 88,234

Pass

68.5%

Fail

24.7%

PRS

5.3%

Avg mileage at test

113,451 mi

2018–2020 cohort 17,037

Pass

73.5%

Fail

19.0%

PRS

6.4%

Avg mileage at test

75,109 mi

2021+ cohort 321

Pass

74.5%

Fail

17.1%

PRS

7.2%

Avg mileage at test

27,016 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

Generations on file · 2

Citroen Relay · UK market

Citroen Relay 1994-2006

1994–2006

Citroen Relay 2006-now

2006–now

Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.

The picture

Citroen Relay: challenging MOT record across 72,987 tests

The Citroen Relay is a diesel-powered van sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.

MOT data from 72,987 tests puts this van on a 68.6% first-time pass rate, well below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 102,450 miles. The most common fail item is cracked or discoloured windscreen, followed by parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement.

The Relay's pass rate warrants caution in the used market. Factor in likely first-test remedial work on the common failure items and get a pre-purchase inspection that covers the specific items this van trips on most.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 26–36

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

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

  1. 01

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    6,338 occurrences · 6.0% of tests

  2. 02

    Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

    4,678 occurrences · 4.4% of tests

  3. 03

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    4,493 occurrences · 4.3% of tests

  4. 04

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

    3,153 occurrences · 3.0% of tests

  5. 05

    Obligatory mirror or device slightly damaged or loose

    2,842 occurrences · 2.7% of tests

  6. 06

    The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired

    2,786 occurrences · 2.6% of tests

  7. 07

    Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value

    2,734 occurrences · 2.6% of tests

  8. 08

    A lens defective which has no effect on emitted light

    2,442 occurrences · 2.3% of tests

  9. 09

    A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

    2,281 occurrences · 2.2% of tests

  10. 10

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    2,277 occurrences · 2.2% 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 2 failures

£16–£95

If every one of this Relay'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 →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 6.0-point gap between bands means the year you buy Citroen Relay has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

74.5%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 74.5% — a 6.0-point improvement. Tests in this band average 27,016 miles — roughly 86K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: does not clear the windscreen effectively, has a serious fluid leak — 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

68.5%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 68.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 74.5% 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 efficiency below requirements. Average mileage on test for this band is 113,451 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (74.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (68.5% pass). That's a 6.0-point spread across 88,234 older tests and 321 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Summit ADRG-169 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

Summit

Summit ADRG-169 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

£9.89

View at My Motor World →

Summit ADRG-170 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

Summit

Summit ADRG-170 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£9.89

View at My Motor World →

Summit ADRG-48 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

Summit

Summit ADRG-48 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

£9.89

View at My Motor World →

Summit ADRG-49 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

Summit

Summit ADRG-49 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£9.89

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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.

Get a quote →

Recall history

30 UK recalls on record.

The Relay has 30 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Relay?

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 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.