Pass rate, every year
40,514 tests across 6 model years, 2011–2016.
−8.4 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
40,514 tests across 6 model years, 2011–2016.
−8.4 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2015 76.4%
The strongest of the 6 years on record. See the 2015 page →
Worst year to buy
2011 70.0%
6.4 points below the 2015 peak. See the 2011 page →
The Citroen DS4 MOT pass rate is 72.6%, −8.4 percentage points below the UK average. That is 40,514 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2011 and 2016. This page lists the most common Citroen DS4 MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Citroen DS4 MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The Citroen DS4 passed on its first attempt in 63.3%, and its overall record sits −8.4 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Citroen DS4 in the 2023–2025 data: 40,514 tests across 6 model years (2011–2016). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 40,514 |
| Overall pass rate | 72.6% |
| Passed on first attempt | 63.3% |
| Average mileage at test | 85,184 mi |
| Model years covered | 2011–2016 (6 years) |
| Versus UK national average | −8.4 pts below |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Citroen DS4, 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.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 40% |
| Suspension | 23% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 21% |
| Tyres | 6% |
| Steering | 5% |
| Visibility | 4% |
| Brakes | 1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0% |
Shares are over the Citroen DS4's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 40% of the recorded Citroen DS4 failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (11.9%), "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps" (4.3%), "Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect" (1.7%) among the Citroen DS4's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Around 23% of the recorded Citroen DS4 failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Coil spring fractured or broken" (6.7%), "Ball joint excessively worn" (3.5%), "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (0.0%) among the Citroen DS4's suspension faults.
Around 21% of the recorded Citroen DS4 failures fall in the Body, chassis, structure section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (6.0%), "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (3.1%) among the Citroen DS4's body, chassis, structure faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Citroen DS4, each with how many of the model's 40,514 tests it was noted on.
7 failure items are recorded at least 1.5 times the UK rate on this model. 3 have a part guide — what to buy, which brands, and what the tester looks at next time.
| Failure item | This model | UK | × UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registration plate lamp inoperative (single lamp) | 5.7% | 0.9% | 6.3× | £5–£20 |
| CV boot split or insecure | 6.6% | 1.2% | 5.5× | £80–£250 |
| Registration plate lamp inoperative (multiple lamps) | 11.9% | 3.2% | 3.7× | £5–£20 part £6–£18 |
| Coil spring fractured or broken | 6.8% | 2.0% | 3.4× | £25–£65 |
| Brake discs seriously weakened | 17.8% | 9.5% | 1.9× | £45–£110 part £60–£90 |
| Headlamp aim too low | 1.8% | 1.0% | 1.8× | £30–£80 |
| Tread depth below 1.6 mm | 26.2% | 17.4% | 1.5× | £45–£95 part £55–£85 |
Rates are a share of this model's own tests (40,514 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items DS4 records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs
The strongest Citroen DS4 model year on record is 2015 (76.4% across 4,093 tests), and the weakest is 2011 (70.0%). The gap between them is 6.4 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
Citroen DS4 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.3 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 DS4 | 139 | 75.5% |
| 2015 DS4 | 4,093 | 76.4% |
| 2014 DS4 | 8,602 | 74.4% |
| 2013 DS4 | 14,289 | 71.5% |
| 2012 DS4 | 8,990 | 71.9% |
| 2011 DS4 | 4,401 | 70.0% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this Citroen DS4's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Citroen DS4.
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 — “ball joint excessively worn”
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 DS4. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
72.6% of the 40,514 recorded Citroen DS4 MOT tests ended in a pass, −8.4 percentage points below the national average. 63.3% of those passed on the first attempt.
2015 is the strongest Citroen DS4 year on record at 76.4%, while 2011 is the weakest at 70.0%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Citroen DS4 failures are "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" and "Coil spring fractured or broken" — together around 19% of tests, mostly in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section.