Citroën C4, Buying guide, MOT record and recalls
In 2025, the Citroën C4 passed 60.5% of 129,752 initial MOT tests, 11.8 points below the 72.3% UK average.
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Citroën C4 at the MOT
60.5% of 129,752 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the C4 488th of 575 models. Citroën C4s aged 3 to 5 years passed 79.6% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 52.4%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Citroën C4 tests in 2025.
Where C4s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Citroën C4 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (7.4%), tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.5%) and stop lamp not working (4%).
The MOT page lists every common C4 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The C4's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.27.2% of C4 failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.20.1% of C4 failure items
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Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.13.5% of C4 failure items
C4 engine sizes
1.6 litre engines made up 69% of Citroën C4 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.2 litre at 16%. Electric examples were 3.5% of tests.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 129,731 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Citroën C4 recalls
54 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Citroën C4. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every C4 is affected.
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Mar 2026 R/2026/073
Alternator protection
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles may have been assembled with contact or with a reduced clearance between the Gasoline Particulate Filter pipe and the pole protection cap of the 48V Belt Starter Generator. There is a possibility of contact between these components leading to water infiltration and an electrical arch which could trigger a thermal event.
- Remedy
- Replace the pole protection cap of the 48V Belt Starter Generator. Check the distance between the Gasoline Particulate Filter pipe and the pole protection cap of the 48V Belt Starter Generator and re-position or replace the pipe if required.
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Aug 2025 R/2025/346
Emission recall - On Board Diagnostics
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Vehicles may be affected by incorrect performance of the On-Board-Diagnostics related to Selective Catalytic Reduction system and/or Diesel Particle Filter. The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) may not illuminate in the event of a malfunction and therefore does not comply with emission regulations.
- Remedy
- Update the Engine Control Unit software to ensure compliance to regulations.
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Jul 2025 R/2025/300
Citroen C4 Citroen DS5 Driver Airbag (Takata)
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the Takata airbag inflators may deteriorate over time. This may cause some inflators to rupture with too much force in a crash capable of causing serious injury or death in a worst-case scenario.
- Remedy
- Replace Driver Airbag module. You are advised not to drive the vehicle.
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Jul 2025 R/2025/283
Citroen Fuel Pipe
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles there may be loose connections between a high-pressure fuel pipe and the engine fuel rail which potentially could lead to a leak and risk of fire.
- Remedy
- Retighten the affected connections.
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Jul 2025 R/2025/247
Citroen DV5R Engines Camshaft Chain
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Vehicles may be affected by premature wearing of the camshaft drive chain leading to abnormal noise or to a breakage of the chain in the worst case.
- Remedy
- Update the software to improve oil pressure and reduce wear. Check the engine noise and replace the chain if required. If no problem found change the oil to one with higher viscosity and special anti-wear additives.
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Apr 2025 R/2025/147
Brake Pressure Modulator Valve
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the Electronic Brake System Module is not according to specification which could potentially lead to light internal leakage of brake fluid.
- Remedy
- Replace the Electronic Brake System Module.
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Mar 2025 R/2025/122
Traction Battery software
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles may face an error in the Battery Monitoring Unit software.
- Remedy
- Update the Battery Monitoring Unit software.
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Mar 2025 R/2025/091
Citroen Autonomous Telematics Box failure after OTA update
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles may have been equipped with an Autonomous Telematic Box (ATB) which does not work.
- Remedy
- Change the ATB.
Other Citroën models
The most-tested Citroën models in 2025, against the C4's 60.5% MOT pass rate.
Citroën C4 FAQs
Is the Citroën C4 reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 60.5% first-time pass rate for the Citroën C4 across 129,752 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Citroën C4 had any recalls?
54 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Citroën C4. The most recent was published in March 2026. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Citroën C4?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension and brakes. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Citroën C4's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a C4?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Citroën history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Citroen VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.