Citroen C4 Picasso MOT pass rate & common failures
The Citroen C4 Picasso appears in 163,427 MOT tests spanning model years 2003–2024, and 79.7% of them passed. That is 3.7 percentage points worse than MPVs of a similar age, which fail at 16.6%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and tyres.
Best and worst C4 Picasso years
Ranked across C4 Picasso years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 85.7% of 2018 examples pass against 67.8% of 2008 ones.
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.1% of tests against 6.5% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, brake pads and joints — headlamp aim alone was recorded 6,951 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 27.4% versus 10.4%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 17.0% fail against 20.7% for diesel, a 3.6-point gap across 163,425 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 29.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 17.2% of tests failed in 2021 against 23.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every C4 Picasso model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 553 | 70.7% | 29.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 2,447 | 67.8% | 32.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 9,857 | 69.6% | 30.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 9,778 | 70.2% | 29.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 8,065 | 71.7% | 28.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 5,809 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 1,553 | 74.8% | 25.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 3,491 | 75.6% | 24.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 3,736 | 79.7% | 20.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 31,721 | 80.7% | 19.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 60,467 | 82.5% | 17.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 25,446 | 85.7% | 14.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 446 | 87.4% | 12.6% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 11.1% | 18,213 |
| 2 | Suspension | 6.5% | 10,667 |
| 3 | Tyres | 6.1% | 9,933 |
| 4 | Brakes | 5.7% | 9,234 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.2% | 6,809 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.6% | 5,835 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 1.8% | 2,874 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.6% | 2,601 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 6,951 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 6,478 |
| 3 | Joints | 6,012 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 5,515 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 4,925 |
| 6 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 4,558 |
| 7 | Washers | 4,522 |
| 8 | Position lamp | 4,292 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 29.4% | 47,979 |
| 2 | Brakes | 23.9% | 39,107 |
| 3 | Suspension | 14.9% | 24,290 |
| 4 | Other defects | 11.5% | 18,714 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 9.2% | 15,074 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 5.2% | 8,503 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 22,488 | 10.4% |
| 30-60k | 63,164 | 17.2% |
| 60-90k | 43,168 | 23.6% |
| 90-120k | 22,502 | 27.7% |
| 120-150k | 8,507 | 29.9% |
| 150k+ | 3,548 | 27.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 147,693 | 20.7% |
| Petrol | 15,732 | 17.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 33,151 | 17.2% |
| 2022 | 33,512 | 18.9% |
| 2023 | 33,092 | 20.5% |
| 2024 | 32,391 | 22.1% |
| 2025 | 31,281 | 23.0% |
What to check before buying a Citroen C4 Picasso
- Lighting & signalling (11.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (6.5% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Tyres (6.1% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Citroen C4 Picasso?
79.7% of the 163,427 Citroen C4 Picasso MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 20.3% fail rate, across model years 2003–2024.
What does the Citroen C4 Picasso most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.1% of tests, then suspension (6.5%).
Which C4 Picasso years are best and worst for MOT results?
2018 has the best pass rate at 85.7% and 2008 the weakest at 67.8%, from 25,446 and 2,447 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect C4 Picasso MOT results?
Fail rates run at 10.4% for cars in the 0-30k band and 27.4% for 150k+, a 17.0-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel C4 Picasso more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 17.0% of the time against 20.7% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 163,427 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.