44,552 tests in 2025
Citroen Dispatch reliability and MOT pass rate
69.8% passed first time. The 30.2% fail rate is 7.6 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 9 years old with 93,585 miles.
Pass rate
69.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 30.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
9.7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
93,585 mi
9 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 9,424 | 18.9% |
| 6-9 years | 15,031 | 25% |
| 10-13 years | 10,470 | 38.4% |
| 14+ years | 9,548 | 40.5% |
What the Dispatch fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment138 dangerous48.4%
- Body, chassis, structure160 dangerous39.1%
- Suspension305 dangerous31.9%
- Brakes2,090 dangerous28.4%
- Tyres2,561 dangerous19.3%
- Visibility7 dangerous18.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks30 dangerous12.6%
- Steering38 dangerous6%
Is the Dispatch getting worse?
The fail rate fell 0.3 points to 31.7% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 47,108 | — | 32% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 46,887 | — | 31.7% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 40,311 | — | 32.4% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 39,243 | — | 31.7% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Dispatch at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Dispatch in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt3,647 tests
- 2Position lamp: not working2,204 tests
- 3Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn1,634 tests
- 4Stop lamp: not working1,579 tests
- 5Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps1,414 tests
- 6Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively1,292 tests
- 7Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,270 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,136 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Dispatch collects 2.62 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm6,909 tests
- 2Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine6,448 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened5,287 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick4,578 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure3,396 tests
- 6Exhaust system: system insecure1,428 tests
- 7Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn1,422 tests
- 8Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn1,291 tests
Questions
What is the Citroen Dispatch MOT pass rate?
69.8% of the 44,552 Citroen Dispatch first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 30.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 9.7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Citroen Dispatch usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded on 3,647 failed tests, followed by "Position lamp: not working" and "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 48.4% of failures, body, chassis, structure appears in 39.1% of failures, suspension appears in 31.9% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 18.9%; at 14+ years it was 40.5%. The median Citroen Dispatch tested in 2025 was 9 years old with 93,585 miles.
Is the Citroen Dispatch getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 0.3 points to 31.7% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Dispatch trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 34 safety recalls naming the Citroen Dispatch: Citroen Dispatch recalls.
Other Citroen models
Checking a particular Dispatch?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.