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Before you buy a used Citroën C4 Cactus.

2014–2021 · Petrol / Diesel · 4 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

Citroën C4 Cactus, real photo of this generation
M 93 · CC BY-SA 3.0 DE · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

All versions

Sheets the catalogue links to all 4 of its engines.

  • EAT6/EAT8 jerking and torque converterAutomatic gearbox
    Period mentioned
    2013–2026
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

    Applies if: Only if fitted with the automatic gearbox described in the record.

1.2 PureTech

Petrol

1.6 HDi

Diesel

1.6 BlueHDi

Diesel

1.5 BlueHDi (desde 2018)

Diesel

These also apply, described above: AdBlue system failure (start countdown)

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the Citroën C4 Cactus
EngineDocumented faults
1.2 PureTechPetrolFewest documented21 with conditions
1.6 HDiDieselFewest documented21 with conditions
1.6 BlueHDiDieselFewest documented21 with conditions
1.5 BlueHDi (desde 2018)Diesel31 with conditions

According to the data we have, the engines with the fewest documented faults are: 1.2 PureTech (Petrol), 1.6 HDi (Diesel), 1.6 BlueHDi (Diesel).

By fuel type, the one with the fewest documented faults is: Petrol.

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

We have no official recalls on record for this model. Our list is not complete: ask anyway, with the chassis number.

  1. Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
  2. Ask an official Citroën dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
  3. Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.

On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 5 checked

Timing / lubrication

  • Look out for: Oil pressure warning, hard brake pedal or reduced assistance, oil consumption, blue smoke, squeal at the front of the engine, turbo whistles or loses power.

    Ask them to check: Measure the belt through the oil filler opening with the manufacturer's tool. Confirm whether the vacuum pump campaign was done.

Turbo / injection

  • Look out for: Loud turbo whistle, power loss, blue or black smoke, oil that gets dirty very quickly. Before the failure, often a puffing or ticking from the cylinder head and an exhaust smell from an injector.

    Ask them to check: Check injector bolt torque and carbon at their base, the turbo banjo bolt and the sump strainer.

Exhaust and emissions (AdBlue)

  • Look out for: Emission system fault message and a “starting impossible in X km” countdown, AdBlue/UREA warning and engine light.

    Ask them to check: Diagnose with Diagbox or equivalent: AdBlue pressure, flow test and tank temperature.

Timing system

  • Look out for: Rattle from the top of the engine, loss of power; in severe cases the chain breaks and the engine fails.

    Ask them to check: Ask the dealer whether the car is in the campaign (free inspection and replacement if needed) and whether the 8 mm chain is fitted.

Automatic gearbox

  • Look out for: Hesitation or a jolt between 1st and 2nd, torque converter shudder in traffic, harsh or delayed shifts and a gearbox fault warning, especially on 2017–2019 3008s.

    Ask them to check: Check oil level and condition, update the gearbox software at the dealer and, after an oil change, record it with DiagBox and reset the adaptations.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

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