MOT cost .

DS

Ds4

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%

ULEZ borderline — check VRM

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 .

UK ULEZ & CAZ guide →

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.

Pre-2018 cohort 8,242

Pass

74.5%

Fail

19.4%

PRS

5.4%

Avg mileage at test

61,708 mi

2018–2020 cohort 261

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

Ds4: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass

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

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:

  1. 01

    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

  2. 02

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

    413 occurrences · 4.9% of tests

  3. 03

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    319 occurrences · 3.8% of tests

  4. 04

    A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

    304 occurrences · 3.6% of tests

  5. 05

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

    200 occurrences · 2.4% of tests

  6. 06

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    142 occurrences · 1.7% of tests

  7. 07

    Wiper blade defective

    123 occurrences · 1.4% of tests

  8. 08

    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

  9. 09

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    103 occurrences · 1.2% of tests

  10. 10

    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 →

Try the calculator

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 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.

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.

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

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

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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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.

Get a quote →

Buying or keeping a Ds4?

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.