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Citroen C4 exhaust, emissions and leaks problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 79,211 MOT tests · Updated

At 9 years, 2.5 in 100 MOT tests of the Citroen C4 failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 2.4 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 79,211 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years), 1,983 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 17 ages from 3 to 19 years, 557,142 MOT tests
  • MOT tests at 9 years: 79,211 for the Citroen C4

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

2.5 fails per 100 MOT tests at 9 years, against 2.4 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 9 (all test years). That is about average.

Why it matters

An exhaust, emissions and leaks fail stops the car passing until it is fixed.

What to check

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

Citroen C4 exhaust, emissions and leaks fails by age

Citroen C4 exhaust, emissions and leaks fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Citroen C4. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.02463 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 18,009 MOT tests34 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 0.7), 13,112 MOT tests5 years: 1.2 per 100 (all cars 1.0), 8,770 MOT tests56 years: 1.5 per 100 (all cars 1.3), 26,517 MOT tests7 years: 1.9 per 100 (all cars 1.7), 50,267 MOT tests78 years: 2.1 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 68,406 MOT tests9 years: 2.5 per 100 (all cars 2.4), 79,211 MOT tests910 years: 2.4 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 70,000 MOT tests11 years: 2.2 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 49,464 MOT tests1112 years: 3.8 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 35,997 MOT tests13 years: 5.6 per 100 (all cars 4.3), 29,684 MOT tests1314 years: 6.9 per 100 (all cars 5.1), 31,230 MOT tests15 years: 7.0 per 100 (all cars 5.7), 29,916 MOT tests1516 years: 6.4 per 100 (all cars 6.2), 22,191 MOT tests17 years: 5.9 per 100 (all cars 6.5), 15,055 MOT tests1718 years: 5.0 per 100 (all cars 6.8), 7,063 MOT tests19 years: 4.2 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 2,250 MOT tests19
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Citroen C4 All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
318,0090.40.5
413,1120.60.7
58,7701.21.0
626,5171.51.3
750,2671.91.7
868,4062.12.1
979,2112.52.4
1070,0002.42.8
1149,4642.23.2
1235,9973.83.7
1329,6845.64.3
1431,2306.95.1
1529,9167.05.7
1622,1916.46.2
1715,0555.96.5
187,0635.06.8
19*2,2504.27.0

All first-use years of the Citroen C4 pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years. * Only survivors are still tested at this age.

What fails in the exhaust, emissions and leaks at 9 years

Advisories (not fails)

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By engine and fuel

  • 1.6 diesel: 1.8 per 100 at 9 years, about average for diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 63,375 MOT tests)
  • 1.2 petrol: 6.2 per 100 at 9 years, fails 2.4–2.8× as often as petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 9,925 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive.

Check one Citroen C4, not the average

The figures here describe Citroen C4 cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other Citroen C4 problems

Exhaust, emissions and leaks on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Citroen C4 have more exhaust, emissions and leaks problems than other cars?

2.5 in 100 MOT tests at 9 years, against 2.4 for all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average by our test (all test years; 79,211 MOT tests).

How common are Citroen C4 exhaust, emissions and leaks problems?

2.5 in 100 MOT tests at 9 years failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 2.4 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 79,211 MOT tests).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 557,142 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare