Citroen Relay MOT pass rate & common failures
The Citroen Relay appears in 87,323 MOT tests spanning model years 1988–2023, and 75.5% of them passed. That is effectively the same as vans of a similar age (24.6% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
Best and worst Relay years
Ranked across Relay years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
The strongest year on this record is 2019 (87.6% pass rate); the weakest is 2004 (66.0%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 14.8% of all tests — 3.3 points clear of brakes, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are component mounting prescribed areas, headlamp aim and rbt (sp) — component mounting prescribed areas alone was recorded 6,550 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 10.6% in the 0-30k band and 29.8% in the 150k+ band, a 19.2-point spread — more than double.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 23.3% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Relay model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 80 | 63.7% | 36.3% | Suspension |
| 1995 | 207 | 69.6% | 30.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 150 | 66.0% | 34.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 98 | 76.5% | 23.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 211 | 67.3% | 32.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 291 | 71.5% | 28.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 551 | 67.2% | 32.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 747 | 67.6% | 32.4% | Suspension |
| 2002 | 1,167 | 67.9% | 32.1% | Suspension |
| 2003 | 1,943 | 67.2% | 32.8% | Suspension |
| 2004 | 2,191 | 66.0% | 34.0% | Suspension |
| 2005 | 3,252 | 66.8% | 33.2% | Suspension |
| 2006 | 5,495 | 68.0% | 32.0% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 6,590 | 68.7% | 31.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 5,729 | 72.1% | 27.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 3,935 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 4,993 | 74.7% | 25.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 4,294 | 75.0% | 25.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 4,351 | 76.6% | 23.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 4,841 | 77.6% | 22.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 6,407 | 76.9% | 23.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 8,075 | 79.9% | 20.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 7,941 | 81.5% | 18.5% | Brakes |
| 2017 | 7,193 | 81.9% | 18.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 3,799 | 84.8% | 15.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 2,338 | 87.6% | 12.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 251 | 80.5% | 19.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 94 | 83.0% | 17.0% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 14.8% | 12,905 |
| 2 | Brakes | 11.4% | 9,978 |
| 3 | Suspension | 10.2% | 8,902 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.0% | 5,250 |
| 5 | Visibility | 6.0% | 5,218 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.5% | 3,084 |
| 7 | Tyres | 3.2% | 2,785 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.9% | 1,687 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 6,550 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 5,746 |
| 3 | Rbt (sp) | 4,976 |
| 4 | Service brake performance | 3,733 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 3,561 |
| 6 | Wipers | 3,184 |
| 7 | Integral vehicle structure condition | 2,737 |
| 8 | Position lamp | 2,732 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 23.3% | 20,328 |
| 2 | Brakes | 20.9% | 18,251 |
| 3 | Tyres | 18.5% | 16,174 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 13.0% | 11,361 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 12.6% | 11,000 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 10.4% | 9,108 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 6,687 | 10.6% |
| 30-60k | 13,784 | 17.2% |
| 60-90k | 19,269 | 23.8% |
| 90-120k | 19,271 | 27.6% |
| 120-150k | 14,066 | 29.3% |
| 150k+ | 14,136 | 29.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 87,089 | 24.4% |
| Petrol | 231 | 24.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 17,541 | 23.8% |
| 2022 | 18,043 | 24.3% |
| 2023 | 17,267 | 24.3% |
| 2024 | 17,582 | 24.6% |
| 2025 | 16,890 | 25.2% |
What to check before buying a Citroen Relay
- Lighting & signalling (14.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (11.4% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Suspension (10.2% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Citroen Relay?
75.5% of the 87,323 Citroen Relay MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 24.4% fail rate, across model years 1988–2023.
What does the Citroen Relay most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 14.8% of tests, then brakes (11.4%).
Which Relay years are best and worst for MOT results?
2019 has the best pass rate at 87.6% and 2004 the weakest at 66.0%, from 2,338 and 2,191 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Relay MOT results?
Fail rates run at 10.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 29.8% for 150k+, a 19.2-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 87,323 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.