Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 64,148 tests

Pass rate climbs 10.8 points across the cohorts — newer Ds3 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 53,460

Pass

74.0%

Fail

19.8%

PRS

5.8%

Avg mileage at test

55,352 mi

2018–2020 cohort 9,483

Pass

84.1%

Fail

11.7%

PRS

3.5%

Avg mileage at test

33,934 mi

2021+ cohort 1,205

Pass

84.8%

Fail

11.2%

PRS

3.2%

Avg mileage at test

25,676 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

DS 3 at 74.9%: fractured springs and plate lamps drive a below-average result

The DS 3 (badged as DS from 2015, previously Citroën DS3) posts 74.9% first-time pass from 40,211 tests at an average presenting mileage of 68,321. Top failures are fractured springs, rear plate lamp faults and CV joint boot deterioration. The DS 3 sits on the same PF1 platform as the Citroën DS3, with the same spring cracking tendency at the lower coil. At 74.9% and below fleet average, the DS 3 needs pre-test spring and plate lamp inspection. The lower failure rate compared to the Citroën DS3 data reflects the younger average mileage of the DS-badged fleet, which dates from 2015 onwards.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 18–38

Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.

Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →

18–38

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

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

2,683 occurrences · 4.2% of tests
02

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

1,899 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
03

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

1,356 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
04

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

1,120 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
05

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

1,109 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
06

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

887 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
07

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

881 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
08

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

840 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
09

Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn

816 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
10

A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play

800 occurrences · 1.2% 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

£168–£415

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 →

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Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 10.8-point gap between bands means the year you buy DS Ds3 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

84.8%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 84.8% — a 10.8-point improvement. Tests in this band average 25,676 miles — roughly 30K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: does not clear the windscreen effectively, blade defective — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

74.0%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 74.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 84.8% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no…, fractured or broken, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 55,352 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (84.8% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (74.0% pass). That's a 10.8-point spread across 53,460 older tests and 1,205 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

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

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

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades

Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.

Search Amazon UK

Item 03 · 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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Denso

Denso W14E Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W16EX-U Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W16FSR Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W9LM-US Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

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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.