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Citroen Relay MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

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Pass rate, every year

76.0% Around average

53,684 tests across 23 model years, 2000–2022.

−5.0 pts vs the national average

MOT PASS RATES

How the Citroen Relay really fares

76.0% of its MOTs pass — over 53,684 class-4 tests, 2023–2025

Pass rates

Every figure on this page comes from the DVSA's MOT test record.

The Citroen Relay MOT pass rate is 76.0%, −5.0 percentage points below the UK average. That is 53,684 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2000 and 2022. This page lists the most common Citroen Relay MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.

Citroen Relay MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Citroen Relay passed on its first attempt in 70.4%, and its overall record sits −5.0 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Citroen Relay in the 2023–2025 data: 53,684 tests across 23 model years (2000–2022). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

MeasureThis model
Tests analysed53,684
Overall pass rate76.0%
Passed on first attempt70.4%
Average mileage at test93,199 mi
Model years covered2000–2022 (23 years)
Versus UK national average−5.0 pts below

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Citroen Relay MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Citroen Relay, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Inspection section Share of failures Est. recorded instances
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 28% 5,402
Visibility 25% 4,796
Brakes 16% 3,010
Suspension 15% 2,809
Body, chassis, structure 14% 2,628
Noise, emissions and leaks 3% 591
Steering 1% 102
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems 0% 25

Shares are over the Citroen Relay's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

Around 28% of the recorded Citroen Relay failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (4.8%), "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (1.5%), "Side repeaters lens defective which has no effect on emitted light" (0.9%) among the Citroen Relay's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.

Visibility

Around 25% of the recorded Citroen Relay failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (6.2%), "Mirrors slightly damaged" (1.6%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (1.0%) among the Citroen Relay's visibility faults.

Brakes

Around 16% of the recorded Citroen Relay failures fall in the Brakes section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements" (4.1%), "Service brake performance excessively binding" (1.1%), "Rbt (sp) efficiency less than 50% of the required value" (0.2%) among the Citroen Relay's brakes faults.

Top Recorded Citroen Relay DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Citroen Relay, each with how many of the model's 53,684 tests it was noted on.

  • "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 3,316 Citroen Relay tests, 6.2% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 2,603 Citroen Relay tests, 4.8% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements" (Major) — noted on about 2,178 Citroen Relay tests, 4.1% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 1,666 Citroen Relay tests, 3.1% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" (Major) — noted on about 1,359 Citroen Relay tests, 2.5% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Mirrors slightly damaged" (Minor) — noted on about 869 Citroen Relay tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.

What Relay fails on more than most

6 failure items are recorded at least 1.5 times the UK rate on this model.

Share of this model's own MOT tests that record each item, against the UK rate for the same item
Failure item This model UK × UK Typical fix
Mirrors slightly damaged Visibility 2.3% 0.4% 5.7× £3–£15
Integral structure corroded Body, chassis, structure · year by year → 3.3% 0.6% 5.5× £180–£450
Brake efficiency below requirements Brakes · year by year → 4.1% 0.9% 4.6× £45–£110
Side repeaters not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 1.1% 0.3% 3.7× £5–£25
Windscreen damaged Visibility · year by year → 6.2% 2.7% 2.3× £80–£200
Headlamp aim too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 1.5% 0.7% 2.1× £30–£80

Rates are a share of this model's own tests (53,684 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items Relay records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs

Best and Worst Citroen Relay Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Citroen Relay model year on record is 2022 (91.2% across 445 tests), and the weakest is 2004 (66.0%). The gap between them is 25.2 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Citroen Relay reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.6 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Year Tests Pass rate First attempt Avg mileage Most common failure
2022 Relay 445 91.2% 90.8% 34,692 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2021 Relay 1,297 86.3% 84.3% 39,322 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2020 Relay 1,354 87.2% 85.5% 43,562 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2019 Relay 2,138 86.5% 84.8% 53,589 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2018 Relay 2,399 84.0% 81.3% 63,682 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2017 Relay 4,249 81.2% 77.5% 82,388 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2016 Relay 4,931 80.1% 75.9% 88,565 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2015 Relay 5,011 78.6% 73.6% 99,874 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2014 Relay 3,988 76.2% 69.9% 105,879 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2013 Relay 2,910 76.6% 70.6% 106,557 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2012 Relay 2,583 76.2% 70.3% 111,838 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2011 Relay 2,534 74.4% 67.3% 119,988 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2010 Relay 2,855 74.0% 66.9% 121,263 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2009 Relay 2,261 71.4% 62.5% 123,611 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2008 Relay 3,270 71.5% 63.9% 125,903 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2007 Relay 3,568 68.2% 58.1% 123,850 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2006 Relay 2,861 68.1% 59.2% 114,612 mi Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated
2005 Relay 1,652 66.2% 57.0% 109,419 mi Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area
2004 Relay 1,100 66.0% 57.1% 96,461 mi Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area
2003 Relay 993 67.1% 58.8% 97,140 mi Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area
2002 Relay 626 66.5% 57.6% 96,765 mi Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area
2001 Relay 373 67.3% 59.3% 86,596 mi Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area
2000 Relay 286 67.5% 60.3% 98,032 mi Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Citroen Relay Owners

These checks follow this Citroen Relay's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Citroen Relay.

  • the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

    Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

  • the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

    Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

  • corrosion — “component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength”

    Look under the sills, around the jacking points and where the suspension mounts meet the body. Flaking, holed or crumbly metal fails; a brown stain on sound metal does not.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Citroen Relay. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the Citroen Relay is most common

Across every Relay model year on record (2000–2022): 22,037 Citroen Relay cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 53,682 tests. Sheffield (S) has the most, with 479 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.

# Postcode area Cars Share of all Tests Pass rate
1 Sheffield (S) 479 2.2% 1,149 80.7%
2 Exeter (EX) 454 2.1% 1,217 71.7%
3 Birmingham (B) 453 2.1% 946 80.5%
4 Newcastle upon Tyne (NE) 441 2% 1,086 78.4%
5 Bristol (BS) 430 2% 1,077 72.0%
6 Portsmouth (PO) 418 1.9% 1,127 73.5%
7 Cardiff (CF) 394 1.8% 1,087 72.7%
8 Doncaster (DN) 366 1.7% 825 79.4%
9 Swansea (SA) 359 1.6% 1,015 74.6%
10 Nottingham (NG) 345 1.6% 805 73.8%
11 Peterborough (PE) 331 1.5% 830 78.4%
12 Glasgow (G) 329 1.5% 765 76.7%
13 Plymouth (PL) 326 1.5% 900 72.1%
14 Edinburgh (EH) 326 1.5% 846 73.2%
15 Wrexham (LL) 314 1.4% 823 72.4%
16 Carlisle (CA) 313 1.4% 823 77.6%
17 Kendal (LA) 299 1.4% 855 77.4%
18 Southampton (SO) 289 1.3% 743 75.6%
19 Gloucester (GL) 288 1.3% 822 71.8%
20 Guildford (GU) 283 1.3% 733 77.1%

The twenty areas with the most Citroen Relay cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Frequently Asked Questions: Citroen Relay MOT & Reliability

What is the Citroen Relay MOT pass rate?

76.0% of the 53,684 recorded Citroen Relay MOT tests ended in a pass, −5.0 percentage points below the national average. 70.4% of those passed on the first attempt.

Which Citroen Relay model years pass the MOT most often?

2022 is the strongest Citroen Relay year on record at 91.2%, while 2004 is the weakest at 66.0%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.

What are the most common Citroen Relay MOT failures?

The most recorded Citroen Relay failures are "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" and "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" — together around 11% of tests, mostly in the Visibility section.