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Citroen C4 Picasso MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

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Pass rate, every year

82.2% Around average

24,202 tests across 13 model years, 2007–2019.

+1.2 pts vs the national average

MOT PASS RATES

How the Citroen C4 Picasso really fares

82.2% of its MOTs pass — over 24,202 class-4 tests, 2023–2025

Pass rates

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

The Citroen C4 Picasso MOT pass rate is 82.2%, +1.2 percentage points above the UK average. That is 24,202 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2007 and 2019. This page lists the most common Citroen C4 Picasso 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 Picasso MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Citroen C4 Picasso passed on its first attempt in 78.6%, and its overall record sits +1.2 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Citroen C4 Picasso in the 2023–2025 data: 24,202 tests across 13 model years (2007–2019). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

MeasureThis model
Tests analysed24,202
Overall pass rate82.2%
Passed on first attempt78.6%
Average mileage at test78,665 mi
Model years covered2007–2019 (13 years)
Versus UK national average+1.2 pts above

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

Most Common Citroen C4 Picasso MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Citroen C4 Picasso, 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 33% 1,665
Suspension 18% 912
Body, chassis, structure 18% 888
Visibility 9% 442
Tyres 8% 420
Brakes 7% 349
Steering 6% 294
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems 0% 17

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

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

Around 33% of the recorded Citroen C4 Picasso 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" (5.2%), "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps" (0.4%), "Position lamp not working" (0.3%) among the Citroen C4 Picasso's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.

Suspension

Around 18% of the recorded Citroen C4 Picasso failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Linkage ball joints ball joint excessively worn" (1.6%), "Ball joint excessively worn" (1.0%), "Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (0.5%) among the Citroen C4 Picasso's suspension faults.

Body, chassis, structure

Around 18% of the recorded Citroen C4 Picasso 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" (2.3%), "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (1.4%) among the Citroen C4 Picasso's body, chassis, structure faults.

Top Recorded Citroen C4 Picasso DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Citroen C4 Picasso, each with how many of the model's 24,202 tests it was noted on.

  • "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 1,259 Citroen C4 Picasso tests, 5.2% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 549 Citroen C4 Picasso tests, 2.3% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Linkage ball joints ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 385 Citroen C4 Picasso tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 377 Citroen C4 Picasso tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" (Major) — noted on about 342 Citroen C4 Picasso tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 339 Citroen C4 Picasso tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.

What C4 Picasso fails on more than most

1 failure item is recorded at least 1.5 times the UK rate on this model.

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
Child seat fitted, preventing full inspection Non-component advisories 4.8% 2.1% 2.3× £20–£80

Rates are a share of this model's own tests (24,202 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 Picasso 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 Picasso Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Citroen C4 Picasso model year on record is 2019 (88.4% across 86 tests), and the weakest is 2007 (69.0%). The gap between them is 19.4 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Citroen C4 Picasso reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 2.5 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Year Tests Pass rate First attempt Avg mileage Most common failure
2019 C4 Picasso 86 88.4% 87.0% 40,506 mi Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick
2018 C4 Picasso 3,904 86.1% 84.1% 44,919 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2017 C4 Picasso 10,463 83.8% 80.7% 52,898 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2016 C4 Picasso 6,021 81.2% 77.2% 58,301 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2015 C4 Picasso 1,100 79.5% 74.7% 72,768 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2014 C4 Picasso 1,041 75.1% 67.7% 78,266 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2013 C4 Picasso 560 73.4% 64.8% 75,860 mi Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover
2012 C4 Picasso 268 75.0% 67.2% 89,281 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2011 C4 Picasso 169 70.4% 60.8% 92,456 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2010 C4 Picasso 188 70.2% 59.1% 96,694 mi Ball joint excessively worn
2009 C4 Picasso 131 71.8% 63.7% 111,326 mi Position lamp not working
2008 C4 Picasso 171 69.6% 60.5% 97,403 mi Position lamp not working
2007 C4 Picasso 100 69.0% 58.7% 111,963 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 Picasso Owners

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

  • 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 suspension joints — “linkage ball joints ball joint excessively worn”

    With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

  • 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.

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

Where the Citroen C4 Picasso is most common

Across every C4 Picasso model year on record (2007–2019): 9,755 Citroen C4 Picasso cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 24,202 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 238 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) 238 2.4% 539 83.9%
2 Newcastle upon Tyne (NE) 236 2.4% 669 79.7%
3 Ashford (TN) 217 2.2% 587 79.9%
4 Sheffield (S) 212 2.2% 495 82.4%
5 Portsmouth (PO) 207 2.1% 552 81.0%
6 Brighton (BN) 195 2% 556 81.1%
7 Nottingham (NG) 168 1.7% 416 82.0%
8 Cardiff (CF) 165 1.7% 467 79.2%
9 Bristol (BS) 163 1.7% 448 81.7%
10 Coventry (CV) 161 1.7% 382 85.1%
11 Swansea (SA) 157 1.6% 430 83.0%
12 Peterborough (PE) 157 1.6% 399 84.5%
13 Derby (DE) 144 1.5% 332 85.5%
14 Norwich (NR) 142 1.5% 416 81.0%
15 Poole (BH) 141 1.4% 379 83.1%
16 Exeter (EX) 140 1.4% 387 84.2%
17 Plymouth (PL) 136 1.4% 383 79.6%
18 Ipswich (IP) 135 1.4% 338 85.8%
19 Preston (PR) 135 1.4% 330 82.1%
20 Edinburgh (EH) 133 1.4% 377 74.0%

The twenty areas with the most Citroen C4 Picasso 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 Picasso MOT & Reliability

What is the Citroen C4 Picasso MOT pass rate?

82.2% of the 24,202 recorded Citroen C4 Picasso MOT tests ended in a pass, +1.2 percentage points above the national average. 78.6% of those passed on the first attempt.

Which Citroen C4 Picasso model years pass the MOT most often?

2019 is the strongest Citroen C4 Picasso year on record at 88.4%, while 2007 is the weakest at 69.0%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.

What are the most common Citroen C4 Picasso MOT failures?

The most recorded Citroen C4 Picasso 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 7% of tests, mostly in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section.