DS DS3 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

DS DS3 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The DS DS3 passed on its first attempt in 74.7%, and its overall record sits −1.5 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the DS DS3 in the 2023–2025 data: 118,672 tests across 8 model years (2015–2022). 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 DS DS3 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the DS DS3, the Body, chassis, structure 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 DS DS3's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded DS DS3 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the DS DS3, each with how many of the model's 118,672 tests it was noted on.

• "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 5,524 DS DS3 tests, 4.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 5,035 DS DS3 tests, 4.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 2,707 DS DS3 tests, 2.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Major) — noted on about 2,368 DS DS3 tests, 2.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp not working on dipped beam" (Major) — noted on about 2,179 DS DS3 tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 2,171 DS DS3 tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst DS DS3 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest DS DS3 model year on record is 2022 (90.3% across 464 tests), and the weakest is 2015 (74.4%). The gap between them is 15.9 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

DS DS3 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.6 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 DS DS3 Owners

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

• 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 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 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.

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

Where the DS DS3 is most common

Across every DS3 model year on record (2015–2022): 51,484 DS DS3 cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 118,672 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 1,947 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.

The twenty areas with the most DS DS3 cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Frequently Asked Questions: DS DS3 MOT & Reliability