Citroën C3 Picasso
2009 – 2012 · RDW type SH****
In short
At 13–15 years (mostly built 2010–2013) 13.0% of 2,622 inspected Citroën C3 Picassos had at least one A-problem at the APK, against 10.6% for all cars of the same age. Over all ages together an A-problem occurs 10% more often on this model than on average (rank 231 of 328 in the ranking). Most often it concerns steering, control arms / ball joints and brakes — steering occurs 5.6× as often as on comparable cars.
Cite these figures
CarXray.nl (2026). Citroën C3 Picasso — APK defects by age. Based on RDW Open Data, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026. https://carxray.nl/en/modellen/citroen/c3-picasso/
A-problems
13.0%
n = 2,622 · 95% CI 11.7 – 14.3%
National, same age
10.6%
n = 1,277,358 · 95% CI 10.6 – 10.7%
Defects at the APK by age
- Citroën C3 Picasso
- National, same age
- 95% confidence interval
| Age | Built (approx.) | n | A-problems | 95% CI | All defects | National A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 – 4 years | 2021–2023 | — | insufficient | 1.3% | ||
| 5 – 6 years | 2019–2021 | — | insufficient | 1.9% | ||
| 7 – 8 years | 2017–2019 | — | insufficient | 3.1% | ||
| 9 – 10 years | 2015–2017 | — | insufficient | 4.7% | ||
| 11 – 12 years | 2013–2015 | 15 | insufficient | 7.2% | ||
| 13 – 15 years | 2010–2013 | 2,622 | 13.0% | 11.7 – 14.3% | 52.5% | 10.6% |
| 16+ years | 2010 or older | 2,066 | 15.0% | 13.5 – 16.6% | 53.4% | 15.3% |
Weak spots
What to check extra on this generation.
| Point to check | Share · sample · 95% CI | Vs. same class | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 6.8% · n = 2,622 · 5.9 – 7.8% | 5.6× | |
| Control arms / ball joints | 2.8% · n = 2,622 · 2.2 – 3.5% | 1.4× | |
| Brakes | 2.7% · n = 2,622 · 2.2 – 3.4% | 0.7× | |
| Seat belts, seats and airbags | 0.6% · n = 2,622 · 0.4 – 1.0% | 1.2× | |
| Springs and shock absorbers | 0.6% · n = 2,622 · 0.3 – 0.9% | 0.3× | |
| Exhaust and emissions | 0.5% · n = 2,622 · 0.3 – 0.8% | 1.1× |
Open recalls
Check the status of this specific car.
About this generation
- Production years
- 2009 – 2012
- RDW type code(s)
- SH****
- Trade name(s)
- C3 PICASSO
- Registered (type group)
- 3,731
- Generation boundary
- Draft, being checked
See other C3 Picasso generations Similar models
Same type of car and era, at 13–15 years. C3 Picasso: 13.0% A-problems.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Citroën C3 Picasso reliable?
The APK tells you about defects, not breakdowns. At 13–15 years 13.0% of inspected Citroën C3 Picassos had at least one A-problem (structure, safety or costly mechanics), against 10.6% nationally at the same age. The maintenance of the specific car matters more than the model.
How does the Citroën C3 Picasso compare with other cars?
Over all ages together an A-problem occurs 10% more often on the Citroën C3 Picasso than on cars of the same age. That puts it at rank 231 of 328 models in the CarXray ranking.
Which model years do these figures cover?
The inspections run from 2025-10 to 2026-09. Cars aged 13–15 years were then mostly built in 2010–2013. The data table shows the build years per age class.
What are the most common problems?
The most common A-problems at the APK are steering, control arms / ball joints, brakes. See the weak spots above and take them into your checklist.
Take these insights to the viewing
Use our checklist and focus on the key points for this Citroën C3 Picasso.