Citroen C4 MOT failure rate and common faults
128,907 Citroen C4 cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 39.6% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 29.7% of the time, which makes the Citroen C4 33% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
39.6%
failed first time
128,907 MOT tests in 2025
+33%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 29.7%
199 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
144.3
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 107.6
What fails on a Citroen C4 MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Citroen C4 MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts | 74.4 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 45.0 |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 40.3 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 40.1 |
| Ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 38.7 |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | Lights and electrics | 38.3 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 34.7 |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play | Steering | 34.3 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Suspension | 33.2 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 32.9 |
Citroen C4 MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5,245 | 16.1% | 11.4% | 25,100 |
| 2021 | 5,066 | 19.7% | 12.8% | 33,100 |
| 2020 | 1,733 | 15.6% | 14.1% | 40,700 |
| 2019 | 5,020 | 23.0% | 16.5% | 47,500 |
| 2018 | 2,722 | 26.8% | 19.1% | 58,800 |
| 2017 | 950 | 31.8% | 21.8% | 84,900 |
| 2016 | 17,066 | 37.1% | 25.1% | 76,900 |
| 2015 | 26,885 | 39.0% | 28.1% | 82,700 |
| 2014 | 19,760 | 42.9% | 31.4% | 90,800 |
| 2013 | 11,403 | 45.7% | 34.3% | 93,500 |
| 2012 | 7,564 | 45.0% | 36.6% | 99,000 |
| 2011 | 6,033 | 47.0% | 38.8% | 105,300 |
| 2010 | 4,845 | 53.1% | 40.7% | 105,400 |
| 2009 | 3,838 | 51.1% | 41.8% | 103,700 |
| 2008 | 5,051 | 53.1% | 42.9% | 106,200 |
| 2007 | 3,816 | 50.3% | 42.7% | 104,100 |
| 2006 | 1,269 | 49.8% | 43.0% | 94,700 |
| 2005 | 641 | 44.8% | 42.4% | 91,400 |
Advisories to look for in a Citroen C4's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Citroen C4, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge359.7
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened201.8
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement143.0
- Brake pads: wearing thin112.1
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing109.3
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive65.5
Checking a used Citroen C4 before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Citroen C4 fails more often than average on lights and electrics, suspension and brakes. Start there.
Lights and electrics
Walk round the car with every light on: headlights on dip and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and the number plate lamp. A pattern of electrical faults costs more than a bulb.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Brakes
Look through the wheel spokes at the discs for a deep lip or scoring, check the handbrake holds the car on a slope, and feel for a pull to one side when braking hard.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Citroen C4 cars tested: Diesel 74%, Petrol 26%. Average age at test 10.8 years, average recorded mileage 82,600.
Citroen C4 MOT questions
What is the Citroen C4 MOT failure rate?
39.6% of Citroen C4 cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 128,907 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 29.7% of the time, so the Citroen C4 was 33% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Citroen C4 MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 274 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded 74.4 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Citroen C4 year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2020 registrations did best: 15.6% failed against an average of 14.1% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Citroen C4 will pass?
No. These are averages across every Citroen C4 tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Citroen models
- Citroen C334.5% failed
- Citroen Berlingo40.6% failed
- Citroen C131.1% failed
- Citroen DS348.2% failed
- Citroen Dispatch39.6% failed
- Citroen C3 Aircross15.4% failed
Ranked close to the Citroen C4
- Renault Meganerank 196
- MG 3rank 197
- Renault Zoerank 198
- Vauxhall Mokkarank 200
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Citroen C4 cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.