Serious front ball joint failure on Citroën C4 II (2013) – possible design or manufacturing defect?

[frer8833]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share and get opinions about a very serious incident with my Citroën C4 II (2013, 1.6 e-HDi EGS6) here in Sweden.

On October 28, 2025, while driving at about 50 km/h, the left front ball joint suddenly came loose and completely detached. The drive shaft was ripped out of the gearbox and gearbox oil started leaking out.
We were only about 100 metres from the E4 motorway on-ramp, and I was lucky to steer the car off the road before losing control.

The ball joint had been replaced just one month earlier (September 23, 2025) by a local workshop, Dosti Bilverkstad. They now refuse responsibility and claim it must be the part or the car itself.
However, the replacement joint was bought from Trodo, a reputable supplier. They double-checked the fitment for my VIN before shipping, and it’s listed as performance-quality OEM-equivalent part.

What’s really strange is this:

The threads inside the wheel knuckle seem stripped or worn, while the upper threads on the ball joint itself look untouched.

Several mechanics I’ve shown the photos to say the joint must have been only partially screwed in, or hammered in, which allowed it to move slightly until the threads failed and it popped out.

The earlier MOT test had noted “play in left front ball joint,” but no structural issue.


The workshop now wants extra payment just to inspect it again and even to cover towing, so I’ve had to escalate the case to the Swedish National Board for Consumer Disputes (ARN).

I’ve also contacted Citroën Sweden, because I suspect this might be more than bad workmanship. A car technician on Facebook mentioned there was a recall about a year ago for similar ball joint or knuckle issues on some Citroën/Peugeot models.

Here’s the recall info he referred to:
https://car-recalls.eu/recall/peugeot-e ... 15-2019-2/

Has anyone here heard of a ball joint or spindle housing defect on Citroën C4 II or similar PSA models (Peugeot 308, 3008, Partner, etc.)?
Or any technical service bulletins (TSBs) about weak threads or poor fitment tolerance on the knuckle?

I’ll attach detailed pictures of the failed parts if needed — it really looks like the joint was barely held in place.

Any insight, shared experience, or documentation links would be deeply appreciated.
This failure could easily have ended in a crash, and I want to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.

My car is on a parking lot waiting for help.

Thanks in advance

[mickthemaverick]

That looks horrendous, I have not come across it before but please keep us posted on developments

[wheeler]

When these are screwed in there is a little cut out on the hub where the metal lip on the ball joint should be knocked over into with a punch to stop the ball joint loosening off. was this done? cant see from the picture but I cant see the other side of the joint.

If this was not done it will be really obvious as there will be no indent on the ball joint where it should be hammered over, if its not been done full blame on the garage as not been fitted to manufacturers instructions.

[shtu]

I was about to post the same as wheeler.

From the photos, I can't see any sign of the metal lip on the balljoint being deformed, or any marks at the notch on the upright that would suggest the lip being staked into place.

However, I don't really see any sign of the threads I would expect to see - that balljoint looks more like one that would press-in to a steel suspension arm, with a circlip to secure it. (the obvious groove in the photo looks like a circlip groove to me) Edit - the threads are more visible on the later side-on photo, I'm now more convinced it's just not been staked into place and unscrewed. Photo 4 shows half of the balljoint's flange, with no sign of it being staked. Check the other side and if there's no sign. it's a slam-dunk for not installed correctly.

The c4 balljoint should look like this, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313183710693 note the obvious 10mm or so threaded section.

Can you post the part number that you were given by your supplier?

[frer8833]

Thank you and to everyone for answer.

The part is from Trodo and extra checked before shipping that it is compatible with my car model and license plate number (1.6 HDi 115 9HD (DV6C), Diesel 1.6, 84kW/114PS 1560ccm, 07/2012-0/0). The ball joint is A.B.S. 220363.
https://www.trodo.se/styrstang/citroen- ... -57163-cid

[shtu]

Looks like the correct part to me. Check that your car is mentioned on the applications list. https://www.abs-bv.shop/en/shop/article ... plications though I'm sure it is.

Incidentally - it doesn't strike me as the highest-quality part in the world, but I don't see anything that would point at the quality of the part as being the issue. I can expect some damage to the threads being present, from the last stages of it being loose and moving around while still against the upright.

This video is for a Peugeot 307, which uses the same part. At 3m16s you get a good closeup of what to look for on the failed balljoint, the obvious marks and deformation to the flange, where it is/should have been staked using a chisel or punch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zueybPyGb4&t=180s

Make sure you take and keep clear photos of the entire balljoint from several angles. No punch marks = not fitted properly.

Edit to add - one thing to look at is that the flange on the joint fitted looks very thick in comparison to the Febi ones I have used previously. I wonder if it's too thick to deform when trying to stake it. Worth a check at a later date, but also - if the garage couldn't fit it correctly, they should have stopped work and contact you.

[PaulC5]

If the garage was not a Peugeot one then maybe they did not know it had to be staked to stop it undoing if that is what has happened.

Also, who supplied the part - if the garage then they are responsible for getting the correct one and any warranty of the part and would most likely get one from a Peugeot dealer. If bought by the car owner and the garage was asked to fit it, then the car owner is responsible for the part warranty against whoever they bought it from. Mixing parts supplied by the car owner and fitting by a garage complicates responsibilities and is not something I would want to do.

[frer8833]

Another garage looked at the car and said the ball joint I purchased is correct and the steering knuckle (that part of the car which the ball joint is screwed into) is also good. He said the cause of the failure is because the mechanic did wrong. On the pictures everybody can see the previous mechanic did not punch the locking lip to prevent it from unscrewing itself.

The heat shield (ball joint protector shield) also is missing from steering knuckle, Idk if the bad garage forgot to install it back.

Yes my car is in the ABS list, https://www.abs-bv.shop/en/shop/article ... plications

I filed a report about this to Allmänna Reklamationsnämnden (ARN) and will hopefully get my repair expenses back (new control arm and so on).

[mickthemaverick]

It's good to see the evidence and the bad garage cannot deny it. Fortunately nobody was hurt as a result but I do think the bad garage should pay some compensation as a result above the cost of the remedial repairs. Keep us posted.

[shtu]

100% not fitted correctly.

Best of luck with the claim, do let us know how it goes.