DS DS3 Reliability: Common Problems and Years to Avoid
What the DS DS3 fails its MOT on, with rough repair costs, and how each model year's MOT pass rate compares with other cars of the same age. Based on 64,121 MOT tests across 7 model years (DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024, retests included).
Segment: small family car | Fuel: Diesel, Petrol
81%
DS DS3 pass rate
88%
DS average
82%
All-model average
The DS DS3 has an average MOT pass rate of 81%, which is 7 points below the DS average and 1 point below the average across all models in our data. Newer DS DS3s pass their MOT more often than older ones, by 8 percentage points on average, which is mostly down to age and wear.
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What the DS DS3 Fails Its MOT On
Of the 11,456 MOT tests on the DS DS3 that failed at the first attempt in 2025, the share that failed on each part of the test, next to the share for all cars and vans of the same ages. A test that failed on two areas counts in both.
Lights and electrics
35%Cars and vans the same age: 29% · Typical repair £15-£200
Suspension
31%Cars and vans the same age: 27% · Typical repair £150-£600
Body, chassis and structure
27%Cars and vans the same age: 7.3% (the DS3 fails on this more often) · Typical repair £200-£1200
Tyres
21%Cars and vans the same age: 27% (the DS3 fails on this less often) · Typical repair £50-£300
Brakes
16%Cars and vans the same age: 20% · Typical repair £80-£450
The 3 single faults it failed on most
- Coil spring: fractured or broken (22% of failed tests, suspension)
- Drive shaft CV boot split or insecure (21% of failed tests, body, chassis and structure)
- Position lamp: not working (11% of failed tests, lights and electrics)
Source: CarCostCheck analysis of DVSA anonymised MOT test results and failure items for 2025: first attempt at each MOT, fail and pass-after-repair defects, DVSA's defect categories (names shortened). Repair costs are rough UK ranges, not quotes. Method and national figures: MOT failure reasons 2025.
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DS DS3 Years to Avoid
Every car in the 2024 MOT data was tested at the same age as the other cars first registered that year, so each DS3 year is compared with all cars from the same year. Years with 1,000+ tests that were at least three years old are included.
Failed more often than cars their age
Passed more often than cars their age
No year passed 3 or more points more often than other cars of the same age.
A lower pass rate means that year failed its MOT more often in 2024; it does not mean every car from that year is bad. Old cars still on the road are often the best-kept ones, which can lift the pass rates of the oldest years. How a car has been looked after matters more, so check the MOT history of the car you are looking at.
DS DS3 Reliability by Year
MOT pass rate for each model year, from DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024 (retests included). Newer cars usually pass more often simply because they are younger. All Cars is the pass rate of every car first registered that year, with the gap in points. Highest and lowest are marked among years with 100+ tests that were at least three years old when tested. Fuel and engine size are a guide only.
DS DS3 Running Costs
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DS DS3 FAQ
What are the most common DS DS3 problems?
In 2025, MOT tests on the DS DS3 that failed at the first attempt most often failed on lights and electrics (35% of the 11,456 failed tests), suspension (31%) and body, chassis and structure (27%). The single most common fault was "Coil spring: fractured or broken" (22%). Across 64,121 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), 81% ended in a pass.
Is the DS DS3 reliable?
The DS DS3 has an average MOT pass rate of 81%, from 64,121 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included). Comparing each model year with all cars first registered the same year, so that age is allowed for, it passed 6 points less often on average, so check the history of any example carefully.
Which DS DS3 years should I avoid?
Compared with all cars first registered the same year (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), the 2015 (76% of 13,216 tests passed, against 84% for all 2015 cars), the 2016 (79% of 22,600 tests passed, against 86% for all 2016 cars) and the 2021 (88% of 1,163 tests passed, against 93% for all 2021 cars) failed their MOT most often for their age. A year's pass rate does not tell you about one car, so check the MOT history of the car you are buying.
How much does it cost to fix common DS DS3 faults?
As a rough guide, brake work on a DS DS3 typically costs £80-£450 and suspension repairs £150-£600, while exhaust and emissions fixes can cost £80-£800. Lighting and wiper fixes are usually under £200.
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Other DS Models
Common problems pages for other DS models