Pass rate, every year
4,275 tests across 3 model years, 2020–2022.
+7.4 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
4,275 tests across 3 model years, 2020–2022.
+7.4 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2022 90.4%
The strongest of the 3 years on record. See the 2022 page →
Worst year to buy
2021 87.3%
3.1 points below the 2022 peak. See the 2021 page →
The DS Ds MOT pass rate is 88.4%, +7.4 percentage points above the UK average. That is 4,275 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2020 and 2022. This page lists the most common DS Ds 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 DS Ds MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The DS Ds passed on its first attempt in 87.1%, and its overall record sits +7.4 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the DS Ds in the 2023–2025 data: 4,275 tests across 3 model years (2020–2022). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 4,275 |
| Overall pass rate | 88.4% |
| Passed on first attempt | 87.1% |
| Average mileage at test | 25,452 mi |
| Model years covered | 2020–2022 (3 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +7.4 pts above |
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 DS Ds, the Visibility 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 |
|---|---|
| Visibility | 52% |
| Tyres | 22% |
| Suspension | 19% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5% |
| Brakes | 1% |
Shares are over the DS Ds's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 52% of the recorded DS Ds failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (4.5%), "Wipers blade defective" (2.3%), "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (1.0%) among the DS Ds's visibility faults.
Around 22% of the recorded DS Ds failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (1.5%), "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (1.4%), "Has ply or cords exposed" (0.5%) among the DS Ds's tyres faults.
Around 19% of the recorded DS Ds failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (1.5%), "Ball joint excessively worn" (0.9%), "Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (0.5%) among the DS Ds's suspension faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the DS Ds, each with how many of the model's 4,275 tests it was noted on.
The strongest DS Ds model year on record is 2022 (90.4% across 1,181 tests), and the weakest is 2021 (87.3%). The gap between them is 3.1 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
DS Ds reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.2 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.
These checks follow this DS Ds's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a DS Ds.
the wipers and washers — “wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively”
Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.
the suspension joints — “linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt”
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.
the tyre tread — “tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”
Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the DS Ds. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
88.4% of the 4,275 recorded DS Ds MOT tests ended in a pass, +7.4 percentage points above the national average. 87.1% of those passed on the first attempt.
2022 is the strongest DS Ds year on record at 90.4%, while 2021 is the weakest at 87.3%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded DS Ds failures are "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" and "Wipers blade defective" — together around 7% of tests, mostly in the Visibility section.