Model Reports 5 min read Updated 18 Oct 2026

Citroen Grand C4 Picasso 2016: reliability & common MOT faults

In 2025, 61 in every 100 first MOTs on a 2016 Citroen Grand C4 Picasso were passes. Most common reason for a fail: Drive shaft joints and boots (front).

Summary

The 2016 Citroen Grand C4 Picasso follows the pattern of the model years either side.

At a glance

How 3,263 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time
61 in every 100
Did not pass first time
39 in every 1001,263 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car
9 yearsabout 73,190 miles
First tests counted
3,263

What failed most often

  1. Drive shaft joints and boots (front)17 in every 100 failed tests
  2. Brake pads (rear)11 in every 100 failed tests
  3. Track rod end (front)10 in every 100 failed tests

How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.

Note:

These are patterns across 2016 Citroen Grand C4 Picasso vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. A wear pattern follows age and use more than the way the car was built. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.

Suspension

Three faults. The strongest is the anti-roll bar linkage ball joints (front): 4.5 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 1,260 of 1,263 failed first attempts (99.8%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025. Mileage is needed to compare like with like.

We only list faults with at least 20 failures and a rate of about 2.0 times that of similar cars, which keeps one-off results out of the list.

Anti-roll bar linkage ball joints (front)

Failed on 91 first tests4.5 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Excessive wear on an anti-roll bar linkage ball joint is Major. A joint likely to become detached is graded Dangerous.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 55 first tests, 5.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover (front)

Failed on 74 first tests3.6 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A suspension joint dust cover that is severely deteriorated is Minor. It becomes Major once it is missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt, so what matters is whether it still keeps dirt out. DVSA words this for any suspension joint dust cover, and files it here under anti-roll bars.

Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover (front)

Failed on 29 first tests3.4 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A missing anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover is Major, and so is one that no longer prevents the ingress of dirt. A cover that is only severely deteriorated is Minor. DVSA uses one wording for the dust cover on any suspension joint.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Body and structure

One fault: drive shaft joints and boots (front), 4.1 times as often as on similar cars.

Drive shaft joints and boots (front)

Failed on 209 first tests4.1 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A constant velocity boot that is only severely deteriorated is Minor. It is Major once it is missing, split or insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt. A transmission joint excessively worn is Major, and graded Dangerous when it is so worn it is likely to fail.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Lamps and electrical

One fault and one wear pattern. The strongest is the number plate lights (rear): 3.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Number plate lights (rear)

Failed on 102 first tests3.6 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Registration plate lamps must light up the rear registration plate and operate at the same time as the position lamps. A missing or inoperative lamp is Major when the plate has only one lamp or all its lamps are not working, and Minor when the plate has several lamps or light sources and not all have failed. A lamp throwing direct white light to the rear is also Minor.

Headlight aim not tested

Failed on 20 first tests3.3 times as often as similar carsWear pattern

What it means

Headlamp aim recorded as not tested, or unable to be tested, is a Major failure. These results must only be used where it becomes apparent during the test that the item cannot be tested, and this could not have been identified before starting. The reason must be included in the additional information box.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Brakes

One wear pattern: brake pads (rear), 2.3 times as often as on similar cars.

Brake pads (rear)

Failed on 138 first tests2.3 times as often as similar carsWear pattern

What it means

A pad worn down to its wear indicator, or contaminated with oil or grease, is Major. A pad worn below the set thickness limit, missing or incorrectly mounted is Dangerous. The manual treats an illuminated brake wear indicator as no reason for failure, although DVSA also lists an illuminated indicator as a Major row.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Steering

One fault: track rod end (front), 2.3 times as often as on similar cars.

Track rod end (front)

Failed on 131 first tests2.3 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play is Major, and one worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment is graded Dangerous. A dust cover that is damaged but still keeps dirt out is Minor, and one missing or no longer keeping dirt out is Major. Testers must tell wear from a joint's built-in clearance or spring loading.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 38 first tests, 3.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Advisories

Other things testers noted as worn or close to failing, more often than on similar cars.

An advisory is a note from the tester about something that has not failed yet. It is an early warning, not a fail. Advisories for the faults above are shown with those faults.

Individual direction indicators (rear)

Noted on 24 first tests3.9 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Suspension arm pins and bushes (front)

Noted on 185 first tests2.2 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Engine oil leaks

Noted on 111 first tests2.2 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Counts cover advisories recorded on failed first tests only, compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

MOT pass rates

How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.

Passed first time
61in every 100
Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station
6in every 100
Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed
33in every 100
Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 61.3% of 3,263 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 67.2%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 6 fixed and the 33 not fixed make the 39 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Same model, other years

Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.

YearPassed first timeFirst tests
201560 in every 100306
2016 This car61 in every 1003,263
201764 in every 1006,546
201869 in every 1002,941

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb. A year earlier (2024), when these cars were a year younger, 65 in every 100 passed first time.

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

Mileage matters most on a 2016 Citroen Grand C4 Picasso.

Of 2016 Citroen Grand C4 Picasso vehicles with under 56,000 miles, 70 in every 100 passed their 2025 MOT first time. With 97,000 miles or more, 59 in every 100 did.

Under 56,000675 tests
70
56,000–68,000646 tests
63
68,000–80,000 Typical car638 tests
57
80,000–97,000661 tests
58
97,000 and over639 tests
59

What to check at your mileage

How often each fault turned up on a failed first test, by the car's mileage. Read it as: what is likely to need looking at on a car like the one in front of you.

Under 56,00068,000–80,00097,000 and over
Drive shaft joints and boots (front)6.57.56.6
Brake pads (rear)3.13.35.6
Track rod end (front)1.84.14.4
Tyre condition (front)2.54.43.1
Number plate lights2.12.83.8

Faults per 100 first tests, by the car's mileage at the test.

When a car fails

37in every 100

of failed cars had one item to fix.

35in every 100

of failed cars had three or more items to fix.

12in every 100

of all first tests had a defect the tester marked dangerous (unsafe to drive away).

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line, for cars of this model year tested in 2025. Each mileage band holds a fifth of the tests. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

The 2016 Citroen Grand C4 Picasso follows the pattern of the model years either side. Its main cause of failure was Drive shaft joints and boots (front), about 17 in every 100 failed tests. In 2025, 61.3% of 3,263 first MOTs on the 2016 Citroen Grand C4 Picasso passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 67.2%. Among 1,263 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Anti-roll bar linkage ball joints (front) appears more often than on similar cars (7.2% of those tests; 91 observed failures; about 4.5× more often than similar cars). There is no single reliability score here; this is a pre-purchase checklist built from DVSA open data, not a guarantee for any individual car.
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that most often failed a 2016 Citroen Grand C4 Picasso at the first attempt were Drive shaft joints and boots (front) (16.6%), Brake pads (rear) (11.0%) and Track rod end (front) (10.4%), each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong most often on the car. The common faults table shows a different measure: faults that are unusual compared with similar cars.
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Anti-roll bar linkage ball joints (front) (7.2% of those tests; 91 observed failures; about 4.5× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Anti-roll bar linkage ball joints (front) shows up more often than on similar cars (7.2% of those tests; 91 observed failures; about 4.5× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault. Age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase checkpoint, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2016 Citroen Grand C4 Picasso include Anti-roll bar linkage ball joints (front), Drive shaft joints and boots (front), Number plate lights (rear). These are the faults that stand out compared with similar cars, not a complete list of what can go wrong on any individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2016 Citroen Grand C4 Picasso (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics, not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars, not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics; this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces, but does not remove, differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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