2019 Citroen Dispatch: common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2019 Citroen Dispatch?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2019 Citroen Dispatch than on all cars registered in 2019.

• Tyre condition3.2× usual
  Citroen Dispatch

  40% All 2019 cars

  12.6%

  Failed outright at MOT: 5.6%, against 3.3% of all 2019 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £70–£150 our estimate

  At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges. Uneven wear can point to tracking or suspension problems.

• Tread depth2.5× usual
  Citroen Dispatch

  39.4% All 2019 cars

  16%

  Failed outright at MOT: 2.8%, against 1.7% of all 2019 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £70–£150 our estimate

  At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

• Engine oil leaks35.2× usual
  Citroen Dispatch

  21.1% All 2019 cars

  0.6%

  Failed outright at MOT: 0.6%, against 0% of all 2019 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £80–£600 our estimate

  At the viewing: Look under the engine and where the car is usually parked for fresh oil. Ask whether the leak has been looked at.

• Nail or damage in a tyre9.2× usual
  Citroen Dispatch

  19.4% All 2019 cars

  2.1%

  Failed outright at MOT: 0%, against 0% of all 2019 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £70–£150 our estimate

  At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges. Uneven wear can point to tracking or suspension problems.

• Number plate lights14.3× usual
  Citroen Dispatch

  17.2% All 2019 cars

  1.2%

  Failed outright at MOT: 5.6%, against 0.4% of all 2019 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £5–£40 our estimate

  At the viewing: Check the number plate lights work and the plates are clean and legal.

Common 2019 Citroen Dispatch MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2019 Citroen Dispatch MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

• Tyres
  67% of testsRough price £70–£150

  At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

• Brakes
  31% of testsRough price £150–£350

  At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

• Oil and fluid leaks
  27% of testsRough price £80–£600

  At the viewing: Look under the engine and on the ground where the car is usually parked for fresh oil or fluid.

• Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
  23% of testsRough price £15–£250

  At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

• Lights and electrics
  22% of testsRough price £10–£80

  At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

• Suspension
  5% of testsRough price £120–£400

  At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

Known faults on the 2019 Citroen Dispatch

Reported by owners, mechanics and buying guides for this model and age. Check which engine the car has, as some apply to one engine only.

• Timing belt that runs in oil (PureTech petrol)

  1.0 and 1.2 PureTech petrol

  The 1.0 and 1.2 PureTech petrol engines use a timing belt that runs in the engine oil (a “wet belt”). It can break down early and shed rubber that blocks the oil supply, which can wreck the engine. Some also burn too much oil. Stellantis now covers earlier engines for belt and oil-burning problems for up to 10 years or 112,000 miles, as long as the car has been serviced on schedule.

  At the viewing: Ask for a full service history showing the right oil, and when the belt was last checked or changed. Check the oil level on the dipstick, and that no oil-pressure or engine warning light stays on.

  Source: Parkers: Stellantis wet belt compensation, and the cars at risk, Stellantis: compensation policy for earlier PureTech 1.0 and 1.2 engines (7 May 2025)

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2019 Citroen Dispatch

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

1. When was the timing belt last checked or changed, and has it had the right oil at every service? Is the car still within Stellantis’ extended PureTech cover?
2. Any recent work on the tyre condition? (Flagged at MOT 3.2× as often on the 2019 Citroen Dispatch as on other cars the same age.)
3. Any recent work on the tread depth? (Flagged at MOT 2.5× as often on the 2019 Citroen Dispatch as on other cars the same age.)
4. Any recent work on the engine oil leaks? (Flagged at MOT 35.2× as often on the 2019 Citroen Dispatch as on other cars the same age.)
5. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?