Mercedes Benz
3,532 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Citan 109 Pure Cdis pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 3.6 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
73.9%
Pass-after-fix
8.0%
Fail
17.8%
Avg miles
59,123
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 · 3,532 tests
Pass rate climbs 1.9 points across the cohorts — newer Citan 109 Pure Cdi examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
73.1%
Fail
18.3%
PRS
8.3%
Avg mileage at test
64,358 mi
Pass
75.0%
Fail
17.0%
PRS
7.5%
Avg mileage at test
51,549 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,572 MOT tests, the Citan 109 Pure Cdi returns 73.1% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A number-plate lamp out and a stop-lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 52,388, 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
A high-group car — insurance costs will be significantly above average. 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 →
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Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
197 occurrences · 5.6% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
182 occurrences · 5.2% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
136 occurrences · 3.9% of tests
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
130 occurrences · 3.7% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
120 occurrences · 3.4% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
88 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps
80 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
72 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
55 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
48 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 4 failures
£156–£325
If every one of this Citan 109 Pure Cdi'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 1.9-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Mercedes Benz Citan 109 Pure Cdi makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
75.0%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 75.0% — a 1.9-point improvement. Tests in this band average 51,549 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
73.1%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 73.1% pass rate against a fleet average of 75.0% 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 64,358 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (75.0% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (73.1% pass). That's a 1.9-point spread across 2,087 older tests and 1,445 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
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
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 Citan 109 Pure Cdi 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.
