14,096 tests in 2025
Citroen Relay reliability and MOT pass rate
70.3% passed first time. The 29.7% fail rate is 7.1 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 11 years old with 93,852 miles.
Pass rate
70.3%
22.6% of all cars failed; 29.7% of these did.
Fixed on the day
5.5%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
93,852 mi
11 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 1,353 | 14.2% |
| 6-9 years | 3,729 | 23.2% |
| 10-13 years | 3,724 | 30.2% |
| 14+ years | 5,248 | 38.1% |
What the Relay 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.
- Brakes676 dangerous45.4%
- Suspension94 dangerous41%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment30 dangerous39.8%
- Body, chassis, structure85 dangerous22.9%
- Visibility3 dangerous17%
- Noise, emissions and leaks11 dangerous13.5%
- Tyres452 dangerous11.3%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems4 dangerous8.4%
Is the Relay getting worse?
The fail rate rose 1.4 points to 31.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 4.9 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 14,400 | 10 | 30.2% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 13,851 | 11 | 30.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 12,486 | 11 | 30.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 12,648 | 12 | 31.6% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Relay 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 Relay in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements736 tests
- 2Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength496 tests
- 3Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak368 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn339 tests
- 5Service brake performance: excessively binding325 tests
- 6Rbt (sp): efficiency less than 50% of the required value312 tests
- 7Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively303 tests
- 8Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt300 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Relay collects 2.77 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.
- 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine1,633 tests
- 2Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,251 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,126 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened1,125 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure1,069 tests
- 6Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak1,030 tests
- 7Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick755 tests
- 8Service brake performance: excessively binding545 tests
Questions
What is the Citroen Relay MOT pass rate?
70.3% of the 14,096 Citroen Relay first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 29.7% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 5.5% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Citroen Relay usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements", recorded on 736 failed tests, followed by "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" and "Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak". By section, brakes appears in 45.4% of failures, suspension appears in 41% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 39.8% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 14.2%; at 14+ years it was 38.1%. The median Citroen Relay tested in 2025 was 11 years old with 93,852 miles.
Is the Citroen Relay getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 1.4 points to 31.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 4.9 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
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 Relay 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 31 safety recalls naming the Citroen Relay: Citroen Relay recalls.
Other Citroen models
Checking a particular Relay?
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.