DS
8,503 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Ds4s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 2.9 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
74.6%
Pass-after-fix
5.3%
Fail
19.4%
Avg miles
61,158
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Some examples of this model are borderline — a small number of diesels were certified Euro 6 before September 2015. Check your registration on the government's ULEZ checker to be certain. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 8,503 tests
Pass rate climbs 3.3 points across the cohorts — newer Ds4 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
74.5%
Fail
19.4%
PRS
5.4%
Avg mileage at test
61,708 mi
Pass
77.8%
Fail
18.8%
PRS
3.1%
Avg mileage at test
43,828 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 5,636 MOT tests, the Ds4 returns 74.9% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a number-plate lamp out. A missing CV-joint boot and tyre tread under the limit round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 54,524, 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.
ABI Insurance Group
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
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A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
536 occurrences · 6.3% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
413 occurrences · 4.9% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
319 occurrences · 3.8% of tests
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
304 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
200 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
142 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
Wiper blade defective
123 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps
120 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
103 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
93 occurrences · 1.1% 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 3 failures
£148–£370
If every one of this Ds4'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
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 3.3-point gap between bands means the year you buy DS Ds4 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
77.8%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 77.8% — a 3.3-point improvement. Tests in this band average 43,828 miles — roughly 18K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, constant velocity boot split or insecure, no… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
74.5%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 74.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 77.8% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, constant velocity boot split or insecure, no…, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 61,708 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (77.8% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (74.5% pass). That's a 3.3-point spread across 8,242 older tests and 261 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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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 Ds4 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.
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