Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 604 tests analysed

Citroen Relay 2006: reliability & common MOT faults

282 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2006 Citroen Relay in 2025. The item recorded most often on them was Component mounting prescribed areas (rear). Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

First-attempt pass rate 53.3% across 604 tests in 2025. On 604 tests that is too small a sample to separate this year from the Relays either side of it — treat the recorded failures as a checklist, not as a verdict on the year.

First-attempt pass

53.3%

of 604 first tests (2025)

First tests

604

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

282

failed first-attempt tests

Most common fail

18.4%

Component mounting prescribed areas (rear)

MOT pass rates

First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.

First-attempt pass

53.3%

of 604 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

58.4%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

604

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 19.0 yrs · median mileage 108,547 mi

vs 2024: +2.0 pp first-attempt

Note:

  • Class 4 cars · first MOT of the year per vehicle · P/PRS/F outcomes (2025 data).
  • PRS (fixed at the station the same day) counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate.
  • Raw outcomes for this cohort — not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix.
  • MOT doesn't test engine or gearbox internals.

Common faults

Failure patterns that show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars.

These MOT failure patterns show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars of the same class, age, and mileage.

Shares below are measured across the 282 failed first attempts in 2025 that the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Component mounting prescribed areas (front) — 15.6% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 44 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 15× more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. On this year it is also the commonest failure, so it answers both questions at once. The full ranked list is in the table below.

No patterns met the strongest callout thresholds on this page; showing the highest-lift rows that still cleared the display floors.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Component mounting prescribed areas (front)
Suspension > Component mounting prescribed areas
 Front 44 ×15 15.6% Likely
Integral vehicle structure condition (front)
Body, chassis, structure > Integral vehicle structure > Integral vehicle structure condition
 Front 24 ×14 8.5% Possible
Chassis condition (front)
Body, chassis, structure > Chassis > Chassis condition
 Front 21 ×10 7.4% Possible
Service brake performance (front)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service brake performance > Rbt > Service brake performance
 Front 33 ×6.0 11.7% Likely
Component mounting prescribed areas (rear)
Suspension > Component mounting prescribed areas
 Rear 52 ×3.7 18.4% Likely
Shock absorbers (front)
Suspension > Shock absorbers
 Front 21 ×3.6 7.4% Possible
Drive shafts — Joints (front)
Body, chassis, structure > Transmission > Drive shafts > Joints
 Front 47 ×2.3 16.7% Possible
Visibility — Wipers
Visibility > Wipers
 Any 21 ×2.1 7.4% Possible

Only patterns that clear minimum sample and elevation thresholds are shown (at least 20 failures and about 2.0× more often than similar cars).

Note: Rates and comparisons are among first-attempt failed tests, not all MOTs. Patterns come from MOT defect codes — not manufacturer service bulletins, recalls, or a diagnosis of any individual car. Failures and advisories are listed separately.

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

There are too few 2006 Relays in the data to call this year good or bad. Judge the individual car, not the year.

Other Relay years worth knowing about

Newer cars always pass more often, so a plain "best year" list would just rank by age. These are the years that beat or miss the trend their own neighbouring years set — the only age-adjusted signal this data supports.

Year vs the years either side First-attempt pass (rises with newer cars) First tests
2010 Relay +6.7 pp better 63.1% 686

What to check on a 2006 Relay

The items that failed 2006 Relays most often, as a share of the year's failed first attempts. This is what goes wrong, not what is unusual — the table further up the page covers that.

  • Component mounting prescribed areas (rear) — recorded on 18.4% of failed first attempts

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

On 604 tests that is too small a sample to separate this year from the Relays either side of it — treat the recorded failures as a checklist, not as a verdict on the year. In 2025, 53.3% of 604 first MOTs on the 2006 Citroen Relay passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 58.4%. Among 282 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2006 Citroen Relays most often at the first attempt were Component mounting prescribed areas (rear) (18.4%) — each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong on the car. It is a different question from which patterns are unusual for the class, which the common-faults table answers.
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Component mounting prescribed areas (front) (15.6% of those tests; 44 observed failures; about 15× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Component mounting prescribed areas (front) shows up more often than on similar cars (15.6% of those tests; 44 observed failures; about 15× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault — age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase check point, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2006 Citroen Relay include Component mounting prescribed areas (front), Integral vehicle structure condition (front), Chassis condition (front). These patterns show up more often than on similar cars after we filter out sparse noise — not a full list of every possible fault on an individual car.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2006 Citroen Relay (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics — not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars — not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics — this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces — but does not remove — differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks when those data marts are missing.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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