DS Ds3: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The DS Ds3 fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 2.1 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 33,433 individual DS Ds3 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 74.6% first-time pass rate means roughly 25 in every 100 DS Ds3s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average DS Ds3 tested had covered 50,191 miles and was built around 2017.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a DS Ds3 bought as a repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific DS Ds3 rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged DS Ds3s actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a DS Ds3

1. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 5.3% of tests (4.71x the national rate for this defect)
2. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 1.6% of tests (2.73x the national rate for this defect)
3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 3.7% of tests (2.23x the national rate for this defect)
4. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 1.3% of tests (1.77x the national rate for this defect)
5. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 1.6% of tests (1.65x the national rate for this defect)
6. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 1.4% of tests (1.6x the national rate for this defect)
7. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 2.2% of tests (1.58x the national rate for this defect)
8. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.6% of tests (1.31x the national rate for this defect)
9. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.7% of tests (1.17x the national rate for this defect)
10. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.1% of tests

From 51,738 DVSA-tracked DS Ds3 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.32% of these flagged DS Ds3 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

DS Ds3 pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each DS Ds3 year:

• 2015 DS Ds3 - 66.4% first-time pass, 6,486 tests
• 2016 DS Ds3 - 71.8% first-time pass, 11,610 tests
• 2017 DS Ds3 - 77.6% first-time pass, 7,247 tests
• 2018 DS Ds3 - 82% first-time pass, 3,452 tests
• 2019 DS Ds3 - 86.1% first-time pass, 2,518 tests
• 2020 DS Ds3 - 85.8% first-time pass, 1,206 tests
• 2021 DS Ds3 - 88% first-time pass, 700 tests

DS Ds3 by fuel type

Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number:

• Petrol DS Ds3 - 77.8% first-time pass, 24,048 tests
• Diesel DS Ds3 - 67.6% first-time pass, 9,205 tests

Other DS models

• DS Ds4 - 72.6%
• DS Ds7 - 83.7%
• DS Ds5 - 77.9%
• DS DS 3 Crossback Ultra Prstge Ev - 87.8%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Mercedes-Benz B-Class - 74.7%
• Porsche 924 - 74.7%
• Vauxhall Adam - 74.6%
• Nissan Patrol - 74.6%
• Austin MINI 1000 City E - 74.5%
• Fiat Ducato Motorhome - 74.5%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate