2018 Citroen C4 Grand Picasso petrol: common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2018 Citroen C4 Grand Picasso petrol?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2018 Citroen C4 Grand Picasso petrol than on all cars registered in 2018.

• Drive shaft (CV) joints4.6× usual
  Citroen C4 Grand Picasso

  3.7% All 2018 cars

  0.8%

  Failed outright at MOT: 2.7%, against 0.4% of all 2018 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £60–£350 our estimate

  At the viewing: Drive slowly on full steering lock in both directions and listen for clicking. Look for split rubber boots behind the front wheels.

• Headlights3.5× usual
  Citroen C4 Grand Picasso

  3.5% All 2018 cars

  1%

  Failed outright at MOT: 3.3%, against 0.9% of all 2018 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £40–£400 our estimate

  At the viewing: Check both headlights on dipped and full beam, and look for cloudy or cracked lenses.

• Number plate lights2.6× usual
  Citroen C4 Grand Picasso

  3.7% All 2018 cars

  1.4%

  Failed outright at MOT: 1%, against 0.5% of all 2018 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £5–£40 our estimate

  At the viewing: Check the number plate lights work and the plates are clean and legal.

• Washers2.1× usual
  Citroen C4 Grand Picasso

  3% All 2018 cars

  1.4%

  Failed outright at MOT: 3%, against 1.4% of all 2018 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £15–£60 our estimate

  At the viewing: Test the wipers and washers on every speed.

Common 2018 Citroen C4 Grand Picasso petrol MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2018 Citroen C4 Grand Picasso petrol MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

• Tyres
  33% of testsRough price £70–£150

  At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

• Brakes
  26% of testsRough price £150–£350

  At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

• Lights and electrics
  13% of testsRough price £10–£80

  At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

• Seats and seatbelts
  7% of testsRough price £80–£250

  At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock, and retract cleanly.

• Suspension
  7% of testsRough price £120–£400

  At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

• Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
  5% of testsRough price £15–£250

  At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

Known faults on the 2018 Citroen C4 Grand Picasso petrol

Reported by owners, mechanics and buying guides for this model and age. Check which engine the car has, as some apply to one engine only.

• Engine, starter and door recalls

  All engines

  Recalls also covered engine failure (built Oct to Nov 2017), a turbo oil leak (built early 2016), overheating software (built 2012 to 2015), starter motor wiring and a relay that could catch fire, doors that could open (built 2015), rear seatbelts and the bonnet skin.

  At the viewing: Ask for proof every recall was done.

  Source: What Car?: used Citroen C4 Picasso (2013-2018) reliability

• Timing belt that runs in oil (PureTech petrol)

  1.0 and 1.2 PureTech petrol

  The 1.0 and 1.2 PureTech petrol engines use a timing belt that runs in the engine oil (a “wet belt”). It can break down early and shed rubber that blocks the oil supply, which can wreck the engine. Some also burn too much oil. Stellantis now covers earlier engines for belt and oil-burning problems for up to 10 years or 112,000 miles, as long as the car has been serviced on schedule.

  At the viewing: Ask for a full service history showing the right oil, and when the belt was last checked or changed. Check the oil level on the dipstick, and that no oil-pressure or engine warning light stays on.

  Source: Parkers: Stellantis wet belt compensation, and the cars at risk, Stellantis: compensation policy for earlier PureTech 1.0 and 1.2 engines (7 May 2025)

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2018 Citroen C4 Grand Picasso petrol

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

1. Have all the recalls been done?
2. When was the timing belt last checked or changed, and has it had the right oil at every service? Is the car still within Stellantis’ extended PureTech cover?
3. Any recent work on the drive shaft (cv) joints? (Flagged at MOT 4.6× as often on the 2018 Citroen C4 Grand Picasso petrol as on other cars the same age.)
4. Any recent work on the headlights? (Flagged at MOT 3.5× as often on the 2018 Citroen C4 Grand Picasso petrol as on other cars the same age.)
5. Any recent work on the number plate lights? (Flagged at MOT 2.6× as often on the 2018 Citroen C4 Grand Picasso petrol as on other cars the same age.)
6. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?