Citroen DS3 common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 68,173 initial MOT tests on the Citroen DS3 in Great Britain, and 51.8% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Citroen DS3 at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 68,173
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 51.8%
Failed at firstIncluding 8.7% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 48.2%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 10.6%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 4,192 off the road (SORN): 62,061

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

Failure areas

Where the DS3 fails its MOT

The share of initial tests in 2025 with at least one fail or PRS item in each part of the MOT. A test can fail in more than one area, so these do not add up to the fail rate.

1Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
22.6%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
2Suspension
18.3%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
3Body, chassis and structure
14.7%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
4Tyres
8.7%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
5Brakes
8.0%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
6Steering
6.5%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
7Visibility
6.1%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
8Noise, emissions and leaks
6.0%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
9Seat belts and airbags
1.1%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Road wheels
0.7%
Damaged or loose wheels, wheel nuts and hubsAll cars and vans: 0.4%

This modelAll cars and vans

Parts

The parts that fail most

Share of initial tests with a fail or PRS item on each part, 2025.

SpringsSuspension11.4%
TransmissionBody and structure10.5%
Position lampsLamps and electrics7.0%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics6.5%
Steering linkage componentsSteering6.3%
HeadlampsLamps and electrics6.0%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks5.7%
ConditionTyres5.2%

By age

Pass rate by year first used

Older cars fail more often, so compare a car with others of its year. Cars up to 25 years old; years with fewer than 250 tests are left out.

First used	Tests	Passed first time	Dangerous defect
2015	8,273	55.5%	9.2%
2014	17,321	52.7%	10.3%
2013	17,029	52.0%	10.9%
2012	13,455	49.4%	11.2%
2011	8,361	49.6%	10.9%
2010	3,382	50.7%	10.4%

Mileage

DS3 mileage by age

The median reading at the test: half the cars of that age had covered more, half less. Estimated from 1,000-mile bands, for cars up to 25 years old.

A car well above or below the typical figure is not a problem in itself, but the readings should rise steadily from one MOT to the next. A fall, or a long gap, is worth asking about.

Check a car's mileage record

Age at test	Median mileage	Readings
9 years	65,200 miles	3,287
10 years	71,600 miles	14,137
11 years	78,400 miles	17,079
12 years	84,700 miles	15,276
13 years	91,400 miles	11,226
14 years	97,600 miles	5,641
15 years	99,300 miles	1,231

Checking a particular DS3?

Averages tell you what to look at. The registration tells you about this car: every MOT since 2005 with its failures and advisories, each mileage reading, and whether it is taxed.

Questions

Citroen DS3: common questions

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

What is the most common MOT failure on the Citroen DS3?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Citroen DS3 was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 22.6% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 10.8% for all cars and vans. Next came suspension (18.3%) and body, chassis and structure (14.7%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Citroen DS3?

51.8% of 68,173 initial MOT tests on the Citroen DS3 in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 8.7% passed after small repairs made at the test station within the hour (PRS). Across all cars and vans, 72.1% passed first time.

Does a lower pass rate mean the Citroen DS3 is unreliable?

Not on its own. MOT results depend on age, mileage and upkeep as much as on design, so a model with many older cars on the road will usually fail more often. The table by year compares cars of a similar age. What matters most is the record of the car you are looking at, so check its MOT history before you buy.

What counts as a dangerous defect?

One the tester judges to be a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or to have a serious impact on the environment. The car fails and should not be driven until it is repaired. 10.6% of initial tests on the Citroen DS3 found at least one, against 7.3% for all cars and vans.

Where do these figures come from?

From DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count initial tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain, as DVSA does in its own statistics: retests, appeals and abandoned tests are left out, and so are advisories and minor defects.

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