Citroen C4 hatchback (2010-2018) review - Reliability and Safety

The C4’s age means it’s not that advanced when it comes to safety. Although the car received a five-star Euro NCAP rating in 2010, the test has got tougher since, so without optional features like autonomous braking, the C4 doesn't have as many safety features as newer rivals. Citroen’s Plus Pack Convenience was around £950 and features blind spot monitoring, while for around £250 you could add the firm’s eTouch Emergency Assistance System.

In terms of reliability, the picture could definitely be rosier. The C4 is quite an old car now, and owner feedback seems to back this up, as it finished 139th in our list of the best 150 cars to live with in our 2016 Driver Power survey.

Owners ranked the car 99th out of 200 for build quality, which is at least average, but it was a running cost ranking of 53rd out of 200 that pulled the C4 up in the overall result and saved it from wider ignominy.

In 2014, Citroen as a manufacturer polled a woeful 26th out of 30-odd rivals for overall reliability, but things improved a little in 2015 with an 18th placing.

The picture improves a little further when you study the dealer results. Customers in the 2015 Driver Power Survey ranked Citroen dealers 9th out of around 30 competing brands, so if something does go wrong at least you have a reasonable chance of a satisfying outcome.

Warranty 

The Citroen C4 comes with a standard three-year/60,000 mile warranty, which is decent but unexceptional, and means the earliest models are well out of their warranty cover.

Servicing

Citroen C4 servicing schedules require the petrol models to attend a dealership every 20,000 miles, but the diesels need to be looked at every 12,500 miles.

Servicing costs should be low though, with dealers typically offering competitive fixed-rate deals.