Citroen DS3 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Citroen DS3 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Citroen DS3 passed on its first attempt in 61.0%, and its overall record sits −9.6 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Citroen DS3 in the 2023–2025 data: 290,266 tests across 9 model years (2010–2018). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Citroen DS3 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Citroen DS3, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Citroen DS3's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Citroen DS3 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Citroen DS3, each with how many of the model's 290,266 tests it was noted on.

• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 24,326 Citroen DS3 tests, 8.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 22,724 Citroen DS3 tests, 7.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 20,492 Citroen DS3 tests, 7.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Track rod end ball joint has excessive play" (Major) — noted on about 12,617 Citroen DS3 tests, 4.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 11,522 Citroen DS3 tests, 4.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 9,349 Citroen DS3 tests, 3.2% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Citroen DS3 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Citroen DS3 model year on record is 2018 (83.5% across 85 tests), and the weakest is 2010 (69.5%). The gap between them is 14.0 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Citroen DS3 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 2.5 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Citroen DS3 Owners

These checks follow this Citroen DS3's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Citroen DS3.

• the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• the coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”

  Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.

• the suspension joints — “track rod end ball joint has excessive play”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Citroen DS3. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Citroen DS3 MOT & Reliability