2016 Citroen C4 Cactus Attraction 1.2 Pure Tech

Summary:

Absolute junk, stay away

Faults:

An endless amount of electric and electronic problems. You fix one thing, next month there is a new problem. Repaired eight times in less than a year. Some repairs are hard to diagnose and repair unless you have specialized tools and equipment. I tried to repair these problems myself, but had to give up on several occasions, the car doesn't give exact error codes on the scan tool. Needs a specialized tool only authorized dealers have - costly.

Rust in doors and around the hatch.

Coolant leaks.

Tear in drivers seat due to poor cloth quality, interior seem to be falling apart. Never seen anything like it, incredible poor quality in parts.

General Comments:

Practical, comfortable and roomy for its size. I understand why many bought these new, with warranty.

Used these are a nightmare. Build quality is an absolute joke. Seem to be built with the cheapest parts available. Spent hours myself plus almost 3000 Euro in parts and labour at dealer, complete madness. Was off the road for more than 5 weeks in total. Several problems difficult to diagnose.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 16th May, 2026

2016 Citroen C4 Cactus Nordic Edition 1.2 PureTech 82

Summary:

Questionable quality

Faults:

My daughter bought this against my advice. The car was just outside factory warranty, but had a 12 month warranty from a third party and also 30 days open purchase, luckily. I had this inspected by an independent shop, basically what they found:

6 different error codes, including steering angle sensor and cam out of sync.

Wet belt swollen and worn outside of specifications, advised to change cam belt immediately. Advised against driving the car.

Rubber residue found in engine, engine must be flushed.

Several components in suspension worn.

Steering rack probably defective, felt notchy while driving. Sensor or electric motor probably going out.

Driver door sagging, worn hinges and gaskets worn.

Etc etc, you get the idea.

Dealer immediately accepted return of the car without questions when presented with this list.

General Comments:

Very roomy and comfortable considering this was a compact car. Good to drive and decent sound insulation. Interior well laid out. A lot of practical details.

Shame about the quality. These engines are notoriously unreliable (the 1.2 litre petrol), especially the wet belt.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 8th September, 2025