2025 MOT results
Citroën DS3 common problems
The most common reason a Citroën DS3 fails its MOT is a broken coil spring, on 23.4% of its 32,863 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 7 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a exhaust system insecure at 5.4% of failures against 1.0% expected; a split joint boot at 21.1% of failures against 4.6% expected; a worn steering or suspension joint at 12.3% of failures against 4.9% expected.
- Tests in 2025 68,172 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 48.2% 32,863 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 10.6% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 67.5% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Citroën DS3 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Citroën DS3 tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 23.4% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 21.1% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 14.1% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 12.3% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 9.6% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 7.4% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.2% |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.7% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 6.2% |
| Exhaust system insecure Body, chassis, structure | 5.4% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.6% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Broken coil spring
23.4% of failures 11.2% expected 2.1 times as often
A broken suspension spring, which usually snaps in the bottom coil and often fails on both sides within a year.
Look at each corner for a sagging ride height, and listen for a knock over speed bumps.
-
Split joint boot
21.1% of failures 4.6% expected 4.6 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
-
Sidelight out
14.1% of failures 9.1% expected 1.5 times as often
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
12.3% of failures 4.9% expected 2.5 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Headlamp out
9.6% of failures 5.7% expected 1.7 times as often
A headlamp out on dipped beam, which is the beam the test checks.
Both bulbs age at the same rate, so a pair usually goes within months of each other.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
7.4% of failures 8.0% expected about as expected
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Citroën DS3, on 47.0% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is body, chassis, structure, on 30.4% against 10.6% expected.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 47.0% |
| Suspension | 38.0% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 30.4% |
| Tyres | 18.1% |
| Brakes | 16.6% |
| Steering | 13.4% |
| Visibility | 12.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 12.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
67.5% of Citroën DS3 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Citroën DS3s, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 21.9% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 21.5% |
| Exhaust system: mounting defective Body, chassis, structure | 10.4% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 9.9% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 9.6% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.9% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 8.5% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 6.6% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has slight play Steering | 5.9% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 4.5% |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes | 4.3% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 3.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Citroën DS3 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Citroën DS3?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Coil spring: fractured or broken” is the most common: it appears on 23.4% of failed Citroën DS3 tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 47.0% of failed tests.
How often does a Citroën DS3 fail its MOT?
48.2% of Citroën DS3 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 68,172 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 29 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Citroën DS3 than on other cars?
Yes. “Exhaust system insecure” appears on 5.4% of its failures against 1.0% for cars of the same age, and “Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 21.1% of its failures against 4.6% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Citroën DS3 aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 68,172 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.