Citroen DS4 MOT pass rate & common failures
The Citroen DS4 appears in 69,357 MOT tests spanning model years 2011–2022, and 74.1% of them passed. That is 6.6 percentage points worse than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 19.4%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and tyres.
Best and worst DS4 years
Ranked across DS4 years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
The strongest year on this record is 2015 (78.6% pass rate); the weakest is 2011 (71.4%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (13.6%) and suspension (10.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are joints, registration plate lamp(s) and coil spring — joints alone was recorded 5,136 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 29.9% versus 14.4%.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 25.1% of the time against 26.0% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 30.6% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 22.9% of tests failed in 2021 against 28.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every DS4 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 7,788 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 15,676 | 73.1% | 26.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 24,344 | 73.0% | 27.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 14,440 | 76.1% | 23.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 6,839 | 78.6% | 21.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 228 | 79.8% | 20.2% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 13.6% | 9,426 |
| 2 | Suspension | 10.7% | 7,452 |
| 3 | Tyres | 7.7% | 5,361 |
| 4 | Brakes | 7.4% | 5,162 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.9% | 4,783 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.1% | 2,823 |
| 7 | Steering | 2.7% | 1,888 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 1.8% | 1,259 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joints | 5,136 |
| 2 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 4,970 |
| 3 | Coil spring | 4,949 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 4,402 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 4,395 |
| 6 | Ball joint | 2,445 |
| 7 | Washers | 1,731 |
| 8 | Brake pads | 1,698 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 30.6% | 21,258 |
| 2 | Brakes | 26.3% | 18,266 |
| 3 | Suspension | 14.7% | 10,182 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 13.8% | 9,535 |
| 5 | Other defects | 10.8% | 7,485 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 5.0% | 3,472 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 1,043 | 14.4% |
| 30-60k | 12,900 | 21.1% |
| 60-90k | 27,839 | 25.7% |
| 90-120k | 19,408 | 28.6% |
| 120-150k | 6,582 | 29.5% |
| 150k+ | 1,569 | 29.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 62,526 | 26.0% |
| Petrol | 6,831 | 25.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14,244 | 22.9% |
| 2022 | 14,338 | 24.8% |
| 2023 | 14,122 | 26.3% |
| 2024 | 13,713 | 27.7% |
| 2025 | 12,940 | 28.3% |
What to check before buying a Citroen DS4
- Lighting & signalling (13.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (10.7% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Tyres (7.7% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Citroen DS4?
74.1% of the 69,357 Citroen DS4 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 25.9% fail rate, across model years 2011–2022.
What does the Citroen DS4 most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 13.6% of tests, then suspension (10.7%).
Which DS4 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2015 has the best pass rate at 78.6% and 2011 the weakest at 71.4%, from 6,839 and 7,788 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect DS4 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 14.4% for cars in the 0-30k band and 29.9% for 150k+, a 15.5-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel DS4 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 25.1% of the time against 26.0% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 69,357 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.