DS DS3 MOT failure rate and common faults
33,864 DS DS3 cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 34.1% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 22.7% of the time, which makes the DS DS3 50% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
34.1%
failed first time
33,864 MOT tests in 2025
+50%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 22.7%
207 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
108.3
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 88.8
What fails on a DS DS3 MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common DS DS3 MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 83.4 |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts | 80.1 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 41.4 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 38.9 |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights and electrics | 31.7 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 30.9 |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play | Steering | 24.7 |
| Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn | Brakes | 20.7 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 20.7 |
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 19.3 |
DS DS3 MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 819 | 12.1% | 11.4% | 23,000 |
| 2021 | 911 | 19.4% | 12.8% | 30,400 |
| 2020 | 1,198 | 20.8% | 14.1% | 35,900 |
| 2019 | 2,512 | 18.0% | 16.5% | 39,800 |
| 2018 | 3,433 | 30.2% | 19.1% | 46,300 |
| 2017 | 7,163 | 33.5% | 21.8% | 52,400 |
| 2016 | 11,513 | 38.2% | 25.1% | 61,400 |
| 2015 | 6,307 | 43.4% | 28.1% | 67,700 |
Advisories to look for in a DS DS3's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the DS DS3, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge263.6
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened248.0
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing178.6
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement91.1
- Brake pads: wearing thin82.9
- Exhaust system: mounting defective71.6
Checking a used DS DS3 before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the DS DS3 fails more often than average on lights and electrics, suspension and body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts. Start there.
Lights and electrics
Walk round the car with every light on: headlights on dip and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and the number plate lamp. A pattern of electrical faults costs more than a bulb.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts
Turn the steering to full lock and look behind each front wheel: the rubber boots on the drive shafts should be whole, with no grease sprayed around. Then get down with a torch and check the exhaust hangers, sills, floor and subframes for rust.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the DS DS3 cars tested: Petrol 73%, Diesel 27%. Average age at test 8.1 years, average recorded mileage 54,900.
DS DS3 MOT questions
What is the DS DS3 MOT failure rate?
34.1% of DS DS3 cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 33,864 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 22.7% of the time, so the DS DS3 was 50% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a DS DS3 MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 172 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded 83.4 times per 1,000 tests.
Which DS DS3 year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2019 registrations did best: 18.0% failed against an average of 16.5% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular DS DS3 will pass?
No. These are averages across every DS DS3 tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Ranked close to the DS DS3
- Citroen DS3rank 204
- Dacia Sanderorank 205
- Dacia Dusterrank 206
- Citroen C4 Cactusrank 208
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many DS DS3 cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.