Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 3,991 tests

Pass rate climbs 7.6 points across the cohorts — newer Ds7 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 166

Pass

84.3%

Fail

10.2%

PRS

3.0%

Avg mileage at test

46,687 mi

2018–2020 cohort 3,615

Pass

86.1%

Fail

11.8%

PRS

1.6%

Avg mileage at test

43,007 mi

2021+ cohort 210

Pass

91.9%

Fail

8.1%

PRS

0.0%

Avg mileage at test

25,304 mi

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

The picture

Ds7: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 1,905 MOT tests, the Ds7 returns 86.2% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. Worn suspension bushes and brake pads worn below 1.5 mm round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 33,531, 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:

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

01

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

124 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
02

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

96 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
03

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

78 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
04

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

64 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
05

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

35 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
06

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

34 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
07

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

26 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
08

A tyre seriously damaged

23 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
09

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

20 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
10

A suspension pin, bush or joint likely to become detached

18 occurrences · 0.5% 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

£220–£495

If every one of this Ds7'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 7.6-point gap between bands means the year you buy DS Ds7 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

91.9%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 91.9% — a 7.6-point improvement. Tests in this band average 25,304 miles — roughly 21K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, pin or bush excessively worn — 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

84.3%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 84.3% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.9% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: pin or bush excessively worn, pin or bush likely to become detached, and does not clear the windscreen effectively. Average mileage on test for this band is 46,687 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (91.9% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (84.3% pass). That's a 7.6-point spread across 166 older tests and 210 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

Brake pad measurement gauge

Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.

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.

Get a quote →

Buying or keeping a Ds7?

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 Ds7 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.