Citroen DS5 MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 15 model years and 27,838 tests, the Citroen DS5 passes its MOT 75.6% of the time. Large family cars of a similar age fail 19.9% of the time, so this is 4.4pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
Best and worst DS5 years
Ranked across DS5 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
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2015 cars pass 80.7% of the time while 2013 cars manage 74.3%, a 6.4-point spread.
No single area dominates — suspension (11.4%) and lighting & signalling (10.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, coil spring and tread depth — headlamp aim alone was recorded 1,807 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 28.1% versus 12.8%.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 29.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 21.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 25.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every DS5 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 7,169 | 74.4% | 25.6% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 11,629 | 74.3% | 25.7% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 6,572 | 77.5% | 22.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 2,402 | 80.7% | 19.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 40 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 11.4% | 3,168 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 10.5% | 2,938 |
| 3 | Tyres | 6.8% | 1,878 |
| 4 | Brakes | 5.8% | 1,603 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.6% | 1,286 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.0% | 840 |
| 7 | Steering | 2.7% | 764 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 2.1% | 573 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 1,807 |
| 2 | Coil spring | 1,678 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 1,593 |
| 4 | Joints | 1,314 |
| 5 | Pins and bushes | 1,019 |
| 6 | Ball joint | 1,019 |
| 7 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 884 |
| 8 | Brake pads | 800 |
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 | 29.1% | 8,103 |
| 2 | Brakes | 22.5% | 6,263 |
| 3 | Suspension | 17.5% | 4,881 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 9.3% | 2,592 |
| 5 | Other defects | 7.4% | 2,062 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 6.7% | 1,851 |
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 | 470 | 12.8% |
| 30-60k | 4,114 | 17.6% |
| 60-90k | 9,838 | 23.9% |
| 90-120k | 8,423 | 27.0% |
| 120-150k | 3,572 | 27.2% |
| 150k+ | 1,383 | 28.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 27,312 | 24.3% |
| Petrol | 179 | 21.8% |
| Hybrid | 144 | 33.3% |
| Electric | 127 | 27.6% |
| Other | 76 | 27.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5,696 | 21.4% |
| 2022 | 5,734 | 23.5% |
| 2023 | 5,735 | 25.1% |
| 2024 | 5,566 | 26.0% |
| 2025 | 5,107 | 25.9% |
What to check before buying a Citroen DS5
- Suspension (11.4% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (10.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (6.8% 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 DS5?
75.6% of the 27,838 Citroen DS5 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 24.4% fail rate, across model years 2007–2021.
What does the Citroen DS5 most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 11.4% of tests, then lighting & signalling (10.5%).
Which DS5 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2015 has the best pass rate at 80.7% and 2013 the weakest at 74.3%, from 2,402 and 11,629 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect DS5 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 12.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 28.1% for 150k+, a 15.3-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 27,838 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.