In 2025, 21,184 Citroën C4 Cactus cars had a regular MOT in Great Britain. 70% passed first time, compared with 80% for all cars of the same ages, which makes the C4 Cactus worse than average. Adjusted for age, it ranks 211 of the 217 most-tested car models.
That comparison matters: older cars fail more often, so a raw pass rate flatters models that are mostly young. We compare each model against every car on the road at the same age.
Pass rate by age
At 4 years old, 85% of C4 Cactuss passed first time (all cars that age: 87%). By 10 years, that figure is 55% (all cars: 72%). It trails the average car at most ages, most noticeably at 10 years (16 points behind).
Citroën C4 Cactus All cars of that age
| Age | Tests | C4 Cactus passed first time | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 years | 332 | 85% | 87% | 36,454 |
| 5 years | 1,899 | 82% | 86% | 33,126 |
| 6 years | 3,884 | 75% | 84% | 42,724 |
| 7 years | 5,369 | 71% | 81% | 50,627 |
| 8 years | 5,801 | 66% | 78% | 58,749 |
| 9 years | 3,461 | 62% | 75% | 67,583 |
| 10 years | 386 | 55% | 72% | 74,791 |
What fails most on a Citroën C4 Cactus
The area that lets the C4 Cactus down most, relative to other cars, is visibility: 9.2% of tests failed on it, 1.8 times the rate for the average car. It does comparatively well on steering and suspension.
Share of C4 Cactus tests failing on this area Average car
The six most common failure items
| Failure item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | Visibility | 5.7% |
| A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | Body and structure | 4.5% |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | Lights and electrics | 4.4% |
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | Tyres | 3.8% |
| A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED | Lights and electrics | 3.7% |
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | Suspension | 3.5% |
What to check when buying a used C4 Cactus
Based on where the C4 Cactus fails more often than other cars, these are the checks worth making before you buy:
- Visibility: Check the windscreen for chips in the driver’s view, the wipers for smearing and the washers for working jets. Repair guide
- Body and structure: Get underneath with a torch: sills, jacking points, subframe mounts and floor pans. Structural rust is the failure that can make a car uneconomic to fix. Repair guide
- Lights and electrics: Walk round with the lights on: headlights (dipped and main), indicators, brake lights, number-plate and fog lights. Bulbs are cheap, but a seller who hasn’t noticed one out may have missed more. Repair guide
Then check the individual car: its own MOT history will show whether it follows the pattern. A car with repeated advisories in the same weak area is more likely to fail its next test.
Check a specific C4 Cactus
Enter the registration to see its full MOT history, mileage record and reliability score, compared with these figures.
Check a C4 CactusFrequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a Citroën C4 Cactus?
In 2025, 70% of Citroën C4 Cactus cars passed their MOT first time, across 21,184 tests. Cars of the same ages averaged 80%.
What do Citroën C4 Cactus cars most often fail their MOT on?
The most common failure items were: wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen (5.7% of tests); a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc (4.5% of tests); the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements (4.4% of tests).
Other Citroën models
Citroën C3 (63%), Citroën Berlingo (58%), Citroën C1 (68%), Citroën C4 (58%), Citroën DS3 (52%), Citroën Dispatch (57%). All Citroën models
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 (class 4 normal tests; first-time pass means passed with no faults fixed at the test). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.