Common Problems with the Citroen Relay Van

Most vans get a hard life. The Citroen Relay is no exception. Whether they’re doing courier work, owned by a builder or plasterer, a bailiff – vans work hard. And this is something you need to consider when buying a van, because you’ll need one that can stand up to the punishment and stay on the road. If you’re self employed, if your van is in the garage, you aren’t making money.

Because of this it’s a good idea to research any common faults or problems on the van you might be purchasing, just to see if there’s anything you can pre-empt. For example, maybe the van you might want to buy is notorious for blowing clutches; in that case you’ll want to check that the clutch was recently done. 

In this post we’re going to review some of the most common problems on the Citroen Relay. This will not cover the first and second generation vans released prior to 2006, but does cover the third generation launched in 2006 and the facelift version launched in 2014.

Platform Sharing – Citroen Relay/Peugeot Boxer/Fiat Ducato/Vauxhall Movano

It’s important to note before we start that in the van world, platform sharing is something that’s done by nearly every manufacturer. Your Citroen Relay (or Citroen Jumper if you’re in Europe) is identical to a Peugeot Boxer in every way other than the Citroen badge on the dashboard. As a result, some of the below might apply also to the Peugeot Boxer, and additionally if you have a Citroen Relay it’s also worth looking up common problems of the Peugeot Boxer. 

As of 2021, the Vauxhall Movano joins this list, and uses Peugeot/Citroen running gear, so if you have a late model Movano, this will also apply to you. Prior to 2021 the Movano was a rebadged Renault Master, so you’ll want to make sure you’re checking up on common problems for the right generation of vehicle. The Fiat Ducato shares bodywork with the Relay and Boxer, but uses Iveco running gear, so common problems aren’t shared between the three.

Many motorhomes are based on the Citroen Relay/Peugeot Boxer/Fiat Ducato platform – and these include models by Autotrail, Bessacar and Swift. However, this article won’t cover problems you might experience with pre-2006 motorhomes, of which there are many more on the road nowadays than pre-2006 Citroen Relay work vans.

Manufacturer recalls

The Relay has been subject to several manufacturer recalls. This is normal for most vehicles. Irrespective of which model year you are planning to purchase, you will want to check that these recalls have all been done. Usually Citroen will do them for free if there is no record of them being done, and you’ll need to drop your van into the local dealer for the work to be carried out. Check all the paperwork before you buy.

The following recalls have been made for the Citroen Relay:

Number	Date	Problem
R/2021/355	2021-10-26	THE SEAT FASTENING TO THE ANCHOR PLATE IS NOT CORRECT TO SPECIFICATION.
R/2021/012	2021-01-22	AFFECTED VEHICLES ARE NOT FULLY COMPLIANT TO EUROPEAN REGULATION (165/2014+ EU799/2016) COVERING THE “SMART TACHOGRAPH” REQUIREMENTS
R/2020/312	2020-10-28	THE FRONT HUB ASSEMBLY FIXING ON TO THE FRONT SUSPENSION DAMPER MAY NOT BE CORRECT TO SPECIFICATION
R/2019/381	2019-11-08	THE BRAKE PIPE FIXINGS MAY NOT CONFORM TO SPECIFICATION
R/2018/187	2018-07-19	ENGINE OIL GALLERY SEALING PLUG INCORRECTLY TIGHTENED
R/2016/003	2016-01-13	INSTRUMENT DISPLAY MAY TURN OFF INTERMITTENTLY
R/2015/055	2015-03-09	ENGINE MAY STALL
R/2012/089	2012-08-30	HANDBRAKE EFFICIENCY MAY NOT BE TO SPECIFICATION
R/2011/093	2011-07-21	SPARE WHEEL MAY DETACH
R/2008/111	2008-07-16	VACUUM BRAKING ASSISTANCE MAY REDUCE.
R/2008/086	2008-06-10	INDICATOR SIDE REPEATERS MAY NOT OPERATE CORRECTLY
R/2008/037	2008-03-20	STEERING MAY BECOME STIFF
R/2008/025	2008-02-18	BRAKES MAY FAIL

If you need more information on these recalls, you can visit https://www.vehicle-recall.co.uk/make/citroen/relay, which is where I got this information. If you’ve found evidence of one of these recalls not having been done on your vehicle, get it done ASAP.

Gearbox

Depending on whether you have a 5 or 6 speed gearbox, there are a number of problems you might encounter. 

A common problem found is on 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear, where hub clips can break inside the hub and make it difficult or impossible to select a gear. Additionally, the synchromesh on these gearboxes are very fine, and are prone to wear. In order to counteract this you may want to ensure the vehicle is running the correct gearbox oil, which is usually a 75W-80 GL4 oil. Ensure you check the correct grade of oil against your VIN or registration before changing it.

Higher mileage examples can see wear on the main gearbox shaft journals and excessive wear on both the hubs and gears. This can cause end float, which can cause the van to jump out of gear. Make sure you thoroughly test drive any vehicle you plan to buy and ensure the gearbox feels smooth, the gears select nicely, they don’t crunch and there aren’t any whining noises on acceleration. Some Citroen gearboxes suffer with the loss of 5th or 6th gear, so it’s especially important to check these gears. 

A reconditioned gearbox will start from around £1400 for a Citroen Relay. This might go up to £2k for a factory new example. If your gearbox can be salvaged, you might get away with paying less than £1k for a gearbox repair. These vans are so commonplace that most garages will have worked on them before, and parts are readily available.

Engine

This depends on which engine your vehicle has been fitted with. Most examples after 2006 were fitted with a 2.2 HDi diesel engine with either 99hp, 118hp, 108hp, 128hp or 148hp. Later examples (post 2016) are Euro 6 compliant, and are named “BlueHDI”. 

You’ll need to check exactly which engine you have, but these are all variants of the same engine (which is actually shared with the Ford Duratorq diesel engine platform.) The PSA HDi engine has been fitted in a myriad of vans and cars since it was released in the late 1990s and is a solid, reliable unit that should not give you too many problems providing you look after it properly.

One thing that is worth mentioning is that you must keep on top of oil and filter changes. Citroen specifies a service interval of two years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first. I would probably err on the side of caution in regard to this and do it every year or 15,000 miles, depending on how I used the van. However, ensure you stick to the intervals Citroen specifies.

You may find that if you are doing lots of short journeys in town, the DPF gets clogged. All models post 2006 are fitted with a DPF, so ensure you do enough dual carriageway or motorway driving to get the DPF hot enough to regen. 

There are reported issues with solenoid valves. If you turn the van off, the valve controlling the turbine can make a strange howling or whistling sound. This indicates the solenoid valve is likely close to failure and you should get it checked out.

Another common engine issue is with the EGR valve, which is a recurring problem on lots of different types of diesel engines. The EGR is intended to reduce the emission of nitrous oxide, and city driving can cause problems in exactly the same way as the DPF experiences problem, in that carbon builds up in the EGR valve and causes limp mode or excessive smoke.  

Electrics

Often diesels struggle to start when cold, and this can be a glow plug issue. You might want to give the plugs a few glows before the starts. If this happens, you’ll first want to have the glow plugs replaced and see if this changes anything. 

However unless you live in Siberia, it doesn’t really get cold enough for the HDi to struggle to start. Therefore, after you’ve looked at glow plugs, you might also want to check battery and starter motor. The 2.2HDis did suffer from problems with the starter motor, especially some of the earlier models. It’s important to check this before you buy the van – the van should start within 3-4 cranks and if the van is a slow starter, you may find yourself experiencing starter motor issues or battery issues further down the road.

Ensure you have roughly 14.4 volts across the battery with the engine running to ensure the alternator is charging the battery properly.

Additionally these vans suffer with wiring problems – especially earlier models. This is something you may wish to consider as if you experience strange problems further down the line, they could well be electrical. You may also want to invest in a cheap OBD scanner, which might help you give a garage an informed opinion on what might be wrong (which could save you some cash!)

Conclusion

Otherwise, the Citroen Relay is a solid van that is probably good for at least 250,000 miles if you look after it. Parts are easy to come by and relatively cheap, so this should be quite an economical van to keep on the road. Ensure you watch out for the known gearbox and engine problems, and ensure you fully inspect any used vehicle before committing to buy it. Other than that, your Relay should give you years of service if you treat it right!

Check out some more of our servicing and maintenance related articles!