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Citroen C4 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

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Pass rate, every year

74.7% Below average

504,935 tests across 20 model years, 2004–2023.

−6.3 pts vs the national average

MOT PASS RATES

How the Citroen C4 really fares

74.7% of its MOTs pass — over 504,935 class-4 tests, 2023–2025

Pass rates

Every figure on this page comes from the DVSA's MOT test record.

The Citroen C4 MOT pass rate is 74.7%, −6.3 percentage points below the UK average. That is 504,935 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2004 and 2023. This page lists the most common Citroen C4 MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.

Citroen C4 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Citroen C4 passed on its first attempt in 67.2%, and its overall record sits −6.3 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Citroen C4 in the 2023–2025 data: 504,935 tests across 20 model years (2004–2023). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

MeasureThis model
Tests analysed504,935
Overall pass rate74.7%
Passed on first attempt67.2%
Average mileage at test75,376 mi
Model years covered2004–2023 (20 years)
Versus UK national average−6.3 pts below

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Citroen C4 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Citroen C4, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Inspection section Share of failures Est. recorded instances
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 43% 75,258
Body, chassis, structure 21% 36,530
Suspension 17% 29,387
Visibility 7% 12,940
Steering 5% 9,078
Tyres 3% 5,963
Brakes 3% 5,477
Road Wheels 0% 1

Shares are over the Citroen C4's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

Around 43% of the recorded Citroen C4 failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (8.6%), "Stop lamp not working" (1.7%), "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps" (1.5%) among the Citroen C4's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.

Body, chassis, structure

Around 21% of the recorded Citroen C4 failures fall in the Body, chassis, structure section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (4.6%), "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (2.6%) among the Citroen C4's body, chassis, structure faults.

Suspension

Around 17% of the recorded Citroen C4 failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Coil spring fractured or broken" (2.1%), "Ball joint excessively worn" (2.0%), "Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (1.0%) among the Citroen C4's suspension faults.

Top Recorded Citroen C4 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Citroen C4, each with how many of the model's 504,935 tests it was noted on.

  • "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 43,449 Citroen C4 tests, 8.6% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 23,219 Citroen C4 tests, 4.6% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 13,311 Citroen C4 tests, 2.6% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 11,964 Citroen C4 tests, 2.4% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 10,364 Citroen C4 tests, 2.1% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 10,305 Citroen C4 tests, 2.0% of the model's MOT record.

What C4 fails on more than most

3 failure items are recorded at least 1.5 times the UK rate on this model. One has a part guide — what to buy, which brands, and what the tester looks at next time.

Share of this model's own MOT tests that record each item, against the UK rate for the same item
Failure item This model UK × UK Typical fix
CV boot split or insecure Body, chassis, structure · year by year → 5.1% 1.2% 4.3× £80–£250
Registration plate lamp inoperative (single lamp) Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment · year by year → 2.8% 0.9% 3.1× £5–£20
Registration plate lamp inoperative (multiple lamps) Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment · year by year → 8.6% 3.2% 2.7× £5–£20 part £6–£18

Rates are a share of this model's own tests (504,935 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items C4 records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs

Best and Worst Citroen C4 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Citroen C4 model year on record is 2023 (92.8% across 69 tests), and the weakest is 2004 (64.4%). The gap between them is 28.4 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Citroen C4 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.4 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Year Tests Pass rate First attempt Avg mileage Most common failure
2023 C4 69 92.8% 92.2% 26,290 mi Ball joint excessively worn
2022 C4 1,935 89.4% 88.2% 25,076 mi Wipers blade defective
2021 C4 5,840 86.9% 85.1% 28,397 mi Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively
2020 C4 445 89.7% 88.5% 27,817 mi Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively
2019 C4 16,120 86.0% 83.8% 40,478 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2018 C4 9,461 84.6% 82.0% 50,557 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2017 C4 3,409 82.9% 79.9% 77,189 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2016 C4 64,590 78.6% 73.2% 70,012 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2015 C4 104,587 76.8% 70.4% 76,844 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2014 C4 80,801 73.8% 65.3% 85,122 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2013 C4 48,128 72.8% 63.5% 88,688 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2012 C4 32,913 72.9% 63.9% 95,438 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2011 C4 27,675 72.1% 62.6% 101,675 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2010 C4 24,581 69.6% 58.5% 102,999 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2009 C4 20,742 69.9% 59.4% 102,930 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2008 C4 29,461 68.6% 57.5% 105,807 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2007 C4 22,774 69.6% 59.2% 104,612 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2006 C4 7,477 70.3% 60.1% 95,483 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2005 C4 3,781 71.4% 61.9% 95,533 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2004 C4 146 64.4% 49.0% 106,566 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Citroen C4 Owners

These checks follow this Citroen C4's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Citroen C4.

  • the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

    Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

  • the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

    Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

  • the coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”

    Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Citroen C4. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the Citroen C4 is most common

Across every C4 model year on record (2004–2023): 199,734 Citroen C4 cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 504,908 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 7,065 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.

# Postcode area Cars Share of all Tests Pass rate
1 Birmingham (B) 7,065 3.5% 15,971 79.6%
2 Sheffield (S) 5,377 2.7% 13,625 76.8%
3 Peterborough (PE) 4,927 2.5% 12,357 76.2%
4 Nottingham (NG) 4,480 2.2% 11,580 73.6%
5 Newcastle upon Tyne (NE) 3,695 1.8% 10,137 73.8%
6 Manchester (M) 3,616 1.8% 8,043 77.1%
7 Cardiff (CF) 3,540 1.8% 9,689 72.2%
8 Coventry (CV) 3,537 1.8% 8,680 77.0%
9 Doncaster (DN) 3,442 1.7% 8,741 74.1%
10 Leicester (LE) 3,220 1.6% 8,123 76.4%
11 Derby (DE) 3,154 1.6% 7,680 75.3%
12 Bristol (BS) 2,949 1.5% 8,085 72.1%
13 Portsmouth (PO) 2,931 1.5% 8,229 72.7%
14 Norwich (NR) 2,818 1.4% 8,259 73.5%
15 Glasgow (G) 2,758 1.4% 7,271 71.4%
16 Swansea (SA) 2,631 1.3% 7,649 72.8%
17 Edinburgh (EH) 2,629 1.3% 7,370 69.4%
18 Northampton (NN) 2,582 1.3% 6,537 73.4%
19 Preston (PR) 2,488 1.2% 6,452 75.5%
20 Brighton (BN) 2,459 1.2% 6,894 72.9%

The twenty areas with the most Citroen C4 cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Frequently Asked Questions: Citroen C4 MOT & Reliability

What is the Citroen C4 MOT pass rate?

74.7% of the 504,935 recorded Citroen C4 MOT tests ended in a pass, −6.3 percentage points below the national average. 67.2% of those passed on the first attempt.

Which Citroen C4 model years pass the MOT most often?

2023 is the strongest Citroen C4 year on record at 92.8%, while 2004 is the weakest at 64.4%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.

What are the most common Citroen C4 MOT failures?

The most recorded Citroen C4 failures are "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" and "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" — together around 13% of tests, mostly in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section.