Citroen review: Unusable new van

Our business purchased a brand new Citroen Relay van in April 2023 via Vanzone (Principality Motor Company Ltd) using a loan from Lombard finance. The van developed an engine fault and broke down roadside after 100 miles.

The van has now been off the road with related engine faults at Drive Citroen dealership, Stockton On Tees for 298 days out of 384 days of ownership. After 2 months of the dealership failing to repair the fault we have been asking Vanzone, Citroen and Lombard to accept a rejection of the vehicle.

All three businesses have continually refused to accept a rejection, blaming each other for the problem. The van has now been unusable for 78% of the time we have owned it. This is still increasing because both the Citroen dealership service manager and Citroen technical cannot find a resolution to the fault. They have replaced most components in and around the engine.

Citroen customer care, Vanzone customer services, Lombard complaints department and the Financial Ombudsman are all involved but we are now being told litigation might be our best solution.