Mercedes-Benz Citan 109 Pure MOT pass rate & common failures
The Mercedes-Benz Citan 109 Pure appears in 6,862 MOT tests spanning model years 2019–2022, and 82.1% of them passed. Against all cars of a similar age (9.2% fail rate), the Citan 109 Pure comes out 8.7pp worse. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, tyres and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 16.5% of all tests — 10.2 points clear of tyres, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are stop lamp, registration plate lamp(s) and brake pads — stop lamp alone was recorded 669 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the Citan 109 Pure fails 11.7% of the time in the 0-30k band and 12.4% at 150k+, a spread of only 0.8 points.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 23.8% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 15.0% of tests failed in 2022 against 16.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Citan 109 Pure model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 491 | 84.9% | 15.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 4,176 | 81.3% | 18.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 2,176 | 83.0% | 17.1% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 16.5% | 1,131 |
| 2 | Tyres | 6.3% | 430 |
| 3 | Visibility | 5.7% | 390 |
| 4 | Brakes | 5.3% | 360 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 3.0% | 203 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.9% | 60 |
| 7 | Suspension | 0.8% | 52 |
| 8 | Steering | 0.5% | 33 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stop lamp | 669 |
| 2 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 387 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 318 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 317 |
| 5 | Wipers | 274 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 271 |
| 7 | Headlamp aim | 243 |
| 8 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 199 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 23.8% | 1,630 |
| 2 | Brakes | 19.4% | 1,331 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 11.0% | 754 |
| 4 | Visibility | 8.8% | 605 |
| 5 | Other defects | 5.3% | 366 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 4.0% | 276 |
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 | 1,021 | 11.7% |
| 30-60k | 2,716 | 18.2% |
| 60-90k | 1,908 | 20.1% |
| 90-120k | 833 | 19.3% |
| 120-150k | 231 | 22.5% |
| 150k+ | 153 | 12.4% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 133 | 15.0% |
| 2023 | 1,556 | 18.8% |
| 2024 | 2,594 | 18.5% |
| 2025 | 2,576 | 16.9% |
What to check before buying a Mercedes-Benz Citan 109 Pure
- Lighting & signalling (16.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (6.3% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Visibility (5.7% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
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 Mercedes-Benz Citan 109 Pure?
82.1% of the 6,862 Mercedes-Benz Citan 109 Pure MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 17.9% fail rate, across model years 2019–2022.
What does the Mercedes-Benz Citan 109 Pure most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 16.5% of tests, then tyres (6.3%).
How much does mileage affect Citan 109 Pure MOT results?
Fail rates run at 11.7% for cars in the 0-30k band and 12.4% for 150k+, a 0.8-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 6,862 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.