2020 Mercedes-Benz Citan 109 Pure — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2020 Mercedes-Benz Citan 109 Pure passed 81.3% of its 4,176 recorded MOT tests. Against all cars of a similar age (9.3% fail rate), the 2020 Citan 109 Pure comes out 9.3pp worse. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 17.1% of all tests — 10.6 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 tread depth — stop lamp alone was recorded 399 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2020 Citan 109 Pure fails 11.7% of the time in the 0-30k band and 10.1% at 150k+, a spread of only 1.6 points.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 23.5% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 19.1% in 2023 to 17.4% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 17.1% | 715 |
| 2 | Tyres | 6.5% | 271 |
| 3 | Visibility | 6.3% | 262 |
| 4 | Brakes | 5.8% | 242 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 3.2% | 132 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.9% | 39 |
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 | 399 |
| 2 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 268 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 216 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 214 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 193 |
| 6 | Wipers | 169 |
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 | 23.5% | 982 |
| 2 | Brakes | 20.2% | 842 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 11.7% | 488 |
| 4 | Visibility | 9.1% | 379 |
| 5 | Other defects | 4.8% | 200 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 4.1% | 171 |
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 | 609 | 11.7% |
| 30-60k | 1,598 | 19.1% |
| 60-90k | 1,200 | 20.8% |
| 90-120k | 535 | 20.6% |
| 120-150k | 145 | 25.5% |
| 150k+ | 89 | 10.1% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,413 | 19.1% |
| 2024 | 1,388 | 19.7% |
| 2025 | 1,361 | 17.4% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Citan 109 Pure
On a 2020 Citan 109 Pure, lighting & signalling is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 17.1% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Lighting & signalling (17.1% 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 (6.3% 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 2020 Mercedes-Benz Citan 109 Pures pass their MOT?
81.3% of the 4,176 2020 Mercedes-Benz Citan 109 Pure MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 18.7% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Mercedes-Benz Citan 109 Pure?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 17.1% of tests, followed by tyres (6.5%).
Does the 2020 Citan 109 Pure get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 11.7% in the 0-30k band to 10.1% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 4,176 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.