Mercedes-Benz Citan 111 Pure MOT pass rate & common failures

743 MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz Citan 111 Pure (2019–2021) give it an 86.3% pass rate. All cars of a similar age fail 9.4% of the time, so this is 4.4pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, tyres and visibility.

Pass rate

743

MOT tests analysed

13.7%

Fail rate

worse than

vs all cars of similar age

2019–2021

Model years covered

What the MOT record shows

One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.2% of tests against 5.1% for the next-worst category.

At component level the recurring items are stop lamp, registration plate lamp(s) and tread depth — stop lamp alone was recorded 41 times.

Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 9.7% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 23.5% once past 120-150k — 2.4× the risk.

Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.

The trend is worsening — 9.4% of tests failed in 2022 against 12.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.

How it compares

Fail rate for the Mercedes-Benz Citan 111 Pure against all cars of a similar age.

By model year

Every Citan 111 Pure model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.

Mercedes-Benz Citan 111 Pure MOT results by model year
Year	Tests	Pass rate	Fail rate	Most common failure
2019	124	87.1%	12.9%	Lighting & signalling
2020	485	85.8%	14.2%	Lighting & signalling
2021	134	87.3%	12.7%	Lighting & signalling

Most common failures (all years)

Most common MOT failure areas — Mercedes-Benz Citan 111 Pure
#	Category	% of tests affected	Tests
1	Lighting & signalling	11.2%	83
2	Tyres	5.1%	38
3	Visibility	4.0%	30
4	Brakes	3.9%	29
5	Emissions & environmental	3.1%	23
6	Suspension	0.7%	5
7	Body, structure & corrosion	0.5%	4
8	Road wheels	0.3%	2

Percentage of tests with at least one failure recorded in each category, across all model years.

Most common specific failures

The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.

Most frequently recorded failure items — Mercedes-Benz Citan 111 Pure
#	Failure item	Times recorded
1	Stop lamp	41
2	Registration plate lamp(s)	34
3	Tread depth	30
4	Brake pads	27
5	Headlamp aim	25
6	Wipers	22
7	Malfunction indicator lamp	21
8	Position lamp	13

Top advisory categories

Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.

Most common MOT advisories — Mercedes-Benz Citan 111 Pure
#	Category	% of tests with advisory	Tests
1	Tyres	24.4%	181
2	Brakes	19.5%	145
3	Visibility	13.1%	97
4	Lighting & signalling	7.4%	55
5	Other defects	3.5%	26
6	Road wheels	3.1%	23

Failure rate by mileage

Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.

MOT fail rate by recorded mileage band.

Fail rate by recorded mileage — Mercedes-Benz Citan 111 Pure
Mileage band	Tests	Fail rate
0-30k	134	9.7%
30-60k	268	13.4%
60-90k	187	12.8%
90-120k	93	16.1%
120-150k	34	23.5%

Failure rate by age

How the Citan 111 Pure's MOT fail rate climbs as the cars get older.

Trend over time

Fail rate by dataset year — Mercedes-Benz Citan 111 Pure
Dataset year	Tests	Fail rate
2022	32	9.4%
2023	196	14.8%
2024	262	14.9%
2025	253	12.3%

What to check before buying a Mercedes-Benz Citan 111 Pure

Lighting & signalling (11.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
Tyres (5.1% 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 (4.0% 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 111 Pure?

86.3% of the 743 Mercedes-Benz Citan 111 Pure MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 13.7% fail rate, across model years 2019–2021.

What does the Mercedes-Benz Citan 111 Pure most often fail its MOT on?

Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.2% of tests, then tyres (5.1%).

How much does mileage affect Citan 111 Pure MOT results?

Fail rates run at 9.7% for cars in the 0-30k band and 23.5% for 120-150k, a 13.8-point difference.

Methodology & source. Based on 743 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.