Mercedes Benz
33,768 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where Citans pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 7.7 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
69.8%
Pass-after-fix
7.9%
Fail
21.9%
Avg miles
104,146
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Trim variants
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 33,765 tests
Pass rate climbs 1.7 points across the cohorts — newer Citan examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
69.4%
Fail
22.8%
PRS
7.4%
Avg mileage at test
109,322 mi
Pass
71.1%
Fail
18.9%
PRS
9.7%
Avg mileage at test
87,217 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
The Mercedes Benz Citan is a diesel-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.
MOT data from 23,753 tests puts this car on a 69.7% first-time pass rate, well below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 93,231 miles. The most common fail item is failed number plate light, followed by cracked or discoloured windscreen.
The Citan'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 car trips on most.
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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A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
2,605 occurrences · 7.7% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
1,818 occurrences · 5.4% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
1,550 occurrences · 4.6% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
1,209 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
1,161 occurrences · 3.4% of tests
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
1,030 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
1,026 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
914 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
801 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps
737 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 3 failures
£148–£370
If every one of this Citan'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 1.7-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Mercedes Benz Citan makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
71.1%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 71.1% — a 1.7-point improvement. Tests in this band average 87,217 miles — roughly 22K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
69.4%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 69.4% pass rate against a fleet average of 71.1% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and constant velocity boot split or insecure, no…. Average mileage on test for this band is 109,322 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (71.1% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (69.4% pass). That's a 1.7-point spread across 25,885 older tests and 7,880 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
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
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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 Citan 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.
