Citroen
11,651 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where C4 Picassos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 0.7 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
78.2%
Pass-after-fix
4.2%
Fail
17.1%
Avg miles
57,692
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Some examples of this model are borderline — a small number of diesels were certified Euro 6 before September 2015. Check your registration on the government's ULEZ checker to be certain. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 11,651 tests
Pass rate climbs 3.7 points across the cohorts — newer C4 Picasso examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
78.0%
Fail
17.3%
PRS
4.2%
Avg mileage at test
58,503 mi
Pass
81.7%
Fail
14.1%
PRS
4.3%
Avg mileage at test
45,117 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 8,080 MOT tests, the C4 Picasso returns 79.7% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a number-plate lamp out. Brake pads worn below 1.5 mm and worn suspension bushes round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 50,338, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
14–24
out of 50
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A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
468 occurrences · 4.0% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
230 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
230 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
222 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
187 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
164 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
146 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
119 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
110 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
109 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures
£228–£530
If every one of this C4 Picasso's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 3.7-point gap between bands means the year you buy Citroen C4 Picasso has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
81.7%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 81.7% — a 3.7-point improvement. Tests in this band average 45,117 miles — roughly 13K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
78.0%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 78.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 81.7% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, constant velocity boot split or insecure, no…, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 58,503 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (81.7% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (78.0% pass). That's a 3.7-point spread across 10,947 older tests and 704 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
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Summit ADRG-170 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
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Summit ADRG-48 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS
£9.89
View at My Motor World →
Summit
Summit ADRG-49 Citroen Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
£9.89
View at My Motor World →
Click Mechanic · affiliate
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Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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Recall history
The C4 Picasso has 34 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a C4 Picasso and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
