2019 Mercedes-Benz Citan 109 Pure — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 491 MOT tests, the 2019 Mercedes-Benz Citan 109 Pure recorded an 84.9% pass rate. That is 4.9 percentage points worse than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 10.2%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 10.8% of all tests — 4.3 points clear of tyres, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are stop lamp, wipers and brake pads — stop lamp alone was recorded 33 times.
A 120-150k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 16.1% versus 9.2%.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 22.6% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 16.4% of tests failed in 2022 against 17.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 10.8% | 53 |
| 2 | Tyres | 6.5% | 32 |
| 3 | Visibility | 5.9% | 29 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.5% | 22 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 2.4% | 12 |
| 6 | Suspension | 1.0% | 5 |
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 | 33 |
| 2 | Wipers | 32 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 22 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 19 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 17 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 16 |
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 | 22.6% | 111 |
| 2 | Brakes | 21.6% | 106 |
| 3 | Visibility | 9.0% | 44 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 8.6% | 42 |
| 5 | Other defects | 5.7% | 28 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 5.5% | 27 |
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 | 65 | 9.2% |
| 30-60k | 161 | 16.2% |
| 60-90k | 134 | 12.7% |
| 90-120k | 83 | 19.3% |
| 120-150k | 31 | 16.1% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 122 | 16.4% |
| 2023 | 127 | 15.0% |
| 2024 | 119 | 10.9% |
| 2025 | 123 | 17.9% |
What to check before buying a 2019 Citan 109 Pure
On a 2019 Citan 109 Pure, lighting & signalling is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 10.8% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Lighting & signalling (10.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (6.5% 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 (5.9% 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
How many 2019 Mercedes-Benz Citan 109 Pures pass their MOT?
84.9% of the 491 2019 Mercedes-Benz Citan 109 Pure MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 15.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2019 Mercedes-Benz Citan 109 Pure?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 10.8% of tests, followed by tyres (6.5%).
Does the 2019 Citan 109 Pure get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 9.2% in the 0-30k band to 16.1% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 491 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.