MOT cost .
Citroen Ds3
MOT 2023
Wikimedia

Citroen

Ds3

102,347 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where Ds3s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 10.8 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.

Pass

64.9%

Pass-after-fix

6.6%

Fail

28.0%

Avg miles

75,555

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

Ds3: a below-average pass rate worth digging into

Across 102,347 MOT tests, the Ds3 returns 64.9% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a broken or weak spring. A missing CV-joint boot and a number-plate lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 75,555, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

    9,659 occurrences · 9.4% of tests

  2. 02

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

    7,986 occurrences · 7.8% of tests

  3. 03

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    7,381 occurrences · 7.2% of tests

  4. 04

    A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play

    4,684 occurrences · 4.6% of tests

  5. 05

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    3,773 occurrences · 3.7% of tests

  6. 06

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

    3,567 occurrences · 3.5% of tests

  7. 07

    A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    3,389 occurrences · 3.3% of tests

  8. 08

    Exhaust system leaking or insecure

    2,519 occurrences · 2.5% of tests

  9. 09

    Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn

    2,387 occurrences · 2.3% of tests

  10. 10

    A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED

    2,371 occurrences · 2.3% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures

£228–£610

If every one of this Ds3's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

Buying or keeping a Ds3?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a Ds3 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.