DS DS3 MOT failures and reliability
In 2023 the DS DS3 took 32,993 MOT tests in Britain and passed 70% of them first time, close to the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.
- MOT tests in 2023
- 32,993
- First-time pass rate
- 70%
- All cars
- 71%
What the DS3 fails on
Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.
- Lights and electrics10.3% (all cars 11.3%)
- Visibility7.5% (all cars 4.8%)
- Body and structure7.3% (all cars 3.5%)
- Tyres6.7% (all cars 6.4%)
- Suspension5.6% (all cars 9.0%)
- Brakes4.6% (all cars 6.8%)
- Exhaust and emissions1.5% (all cars 3.1%)
- Steering1.2% (all cars 1.8%)
Most common failure items
Share of tests on which each item was recorded.
- Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt 5.4%
- Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 4.0%
- Coil spring: fractured or broken 3.8%
- Headlamp: not working on dipped beam 3.0%
- Position lamp: not working 2.9%
- Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 2.7%
- Washers: not working 2.4%
- Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick 1.9%
Most common advisories
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 16.8%
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 15.8%
- Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 12.3%
- Brake pads: wearing thin 7.0%
- Exhaust system: mounting defective 6.4%
- Brake discs: worn, but not excessively 4.8%
- Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 3.3%
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 3.0%
Pass rate by year of registration
Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.
| First registered | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 6,617 | 60% |
| 2016 | 11,846 | 68% |
| 2017 | 7,272 | 73% |
| 2018 | 3,457 | 76% |
| 2019 | 2,515 | 84% |
| 2020 | 1,223 | 82% |
Typical mileage by age
Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.
| Age at test | Average mileage |
|---|---|
| 3 years | 22,625 miles |
| 4 years | 26,786 miles |
| 5 years | 33,834 miles |
| 6 years | 40,334 miles |
| 7 years | 49,672 miles |
| 8 years | 56,546 miles |
Check a particular DS3
Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.
Other DS models
Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.