Citroen vans, manufactured by the French automaker Citroën, were commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during a significant period in UK automotive retailing. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) investigation into motor finance mis-selling covered the period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024, revealing issues with
discretionary commission arrangements that affected millions of consumers across various vehicle types, including Citroen vans.
How Citroen Vans Were Financed
Citroën vans were frequently financed through several major lenders known for motor finance agreements. Common lenders included
Black Horse,
Lombard,
Close Brothers Motor Finance, and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions. These agreements typically involved PCP or HP financing arrangements, where customers would make regular monthly payments over the term of the agreement to either lease the van (PCP) or purchase it outright (HP). The specifics of these finance deals varied but often included terms such as balloon payments at the end of a PCP contract and fixed interest rates throughout an HP loan period.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The FCA launched a full investigation into motor finance arrangements, focusing on discretionary commission practices. This investigation revealed that many consumers had been affected by misleading or unfair financing practices. According to the FCA's estimates, 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) impacted during this investigation period (FCA estimate), leading to an estimated £7.5 billion in total mis-selling claims across the UK automotive industry (FCA estimate). The average consumer loss per agreement was approximately £829 (FCA estimate).
How to Check Your Agreement If your PCP or HP contract was signed between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024, it could be affected by discretionary commission arrangements that may have been unfair to consumers. You should also look for signs such as unusually high interest rates, hidden fees, or aggressive sales tactics that pressured you into a finance agreement.
If you suspect your Citroen van finance agreement might be affected by the FCA investigation, it is important to know how to proceed without incurring additional costs. Common lenders such as Black Horse, Lombard, Close Brothers Motor Finance, and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions all have complaint procedures that allow consumers to challenge their agreements directly at no cost. You do not need a
claims management company to handle your case; you can complain directly to the lender using their official channels for free.
Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) estimates on motor finance mis-selling cases.
- FOS (Financial Ombudsman Service) guidelines and reports related to financial disputes.
FCA Compensation: FCA Scheme Figures
The FCA confirmed on 30 March 2026 that 12.1 million motor finance agreements are covered by the FCA redress scheme. The FCA-estimated scheme average of £829 per eligible agreement per agreement, with a total of £7.5 billion set aside for consumers. The scheme covers PCP and HP agreements entered into between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024.
Two separate schemes apply: post-2014 agreements (implement by 30 June 2026) and pre-2014 agreements (implement by 31 August 2026). The final deadline to complain is 31 August 2027. You can complain to your lender directly for free. You do not need a claims management company.
Across 1,129,551 MOT tests in 2024, Citroen vehicles have an overall pass rate of 75.3%. This is below the national average of 79.6%. DVSA data covers 159 Citroen models with sufficient test volume.
- Overall pass rate: 75.3%
- Total MOT tests (2024): 1,129,551
- Models with data: 159
- National average: 79.6%
Best Citroen models for MOT pass rate
- Citroen C3 Flair + Puretech S/S Auto: 95.4% pass rate (545 tests)
- Citroen C1 Shine: 93.9% pass rate (2,890 tests)
- Citroen C3 Shine + Puretech S/S: 93.8% pass rate (2,151 tests)
- Citroen C3 Aircross C-Series Ptech S/S: 93.7% pass rate (571 tests)
- Citroen C1 Jcc +: 93.5% pass rate (603 tests)
Citroen models with lowest MOT pass rate
- Citroen Saxo: 68.2% pass rate (3,602 tests)
- Citroen Xsara: 67.1% pass rate (27,631 tests)
- Citroen Grand C4 Picasso: 67.0% pass rate (5,120 tests)
- Citroen C8: 64.5% pass rate (1,178 tests)
- Citroen C15: 64.0% pass rate (1,202 tests)
Citroen MOT Reliability Trend (2022-2024)
Citroen MOT pass rates have declined slightly, from 76.1% in 2022 to 75.3% in 2024 (-0.8 percentage points).
- 2022: 76.1% pass rate (1,295,828 tests)
- 2023: 75.5% pass rate (1,288,939 tests)
- 2024: 75.3% pass rate (1,129,551 tests)
Based on 3,714,318 MOT tests across three years (DVSA open data).
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, Open Government Licence v3.0.