2002 Citroen Relay reviews

Citroen Relay 2.0 HDI 2002

Bought this van with 87K on the clock in 2006, It now has 118K on the clock and has cost about £3800 in fuel and £7500 in repairs, so if you want to own one, please take this cost of repairs into account and buy something else. Allow about £2500 in repairs for each 10,000 miles covered and you be in the right cost area. I use it for plumbing work so it’s not hammered, just loaded with tools for local work. Repairs: - Handbrake cable, cam belt, brake drums rear, whole new leaf springs for rear, front shock absorbers, heater blower motor, windscreen wiper set, crank angle sensor (recovery truck), two alternators, one jockey wheel for alternator drive belt, 3 track rod ends, 5 lots of wheel tracking, one offside drive shaft, mass air flow sensor, one injector (needed helicoil as threads stripped), clutch, two water hoses, one front wheel bearing, one nearside lower swing arm, egr valve failed and melted cam cover, so new cam cover + disabled EGR and MAFS (MAF sensor didn’t work anyway because loom has been chaffed through in engine bay, due to excessive angine shaking. Cam angle sensor (recovery truck again), cv joint and boot. £1000 for new high pressure fuel pump. I am sure, I have missed something!! I had to laugh when one guy used on as a recovery truck!!! These Relays prefer to be on the back of a recovery truck. Van is good to drive, good on fuel, apart from reversing up a hill is almost impossible (rips the clutch out!) and spacious, also doesn’t rust. I am thinking of buying an old non HDI Relay, the old engine is far more reliable. I also run a Mazda Bongo 2.5 TDi, it drinks fuel, is 15 years old but have done 10K with nothing going wrong. I have been motoring for 20 years, the Relay it is the only vehicle I have owned where I have needed to take out AA membership. Just not fit for purpose.