DS Ds4 MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 10 model years and 27,479 tests, the DS Ds4 passes its MOT 80.6% of the time. Small family cars of a similar age fail 13.4% of the time, so this is 6.0pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, body, structure & corrosion 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
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2018 cars pass 84.1% of the time while 2015 cars manage 77.7%, a 6.4-point spread.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (7.2%) and body, structure & corrosion (6.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are joints, tread depth and coil spring — joints alone was recorded 1,714 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 10.2% in the 0-30k band and 25.4% in the 150k+ band, a 15.2-point spread — more than double.
The petrol cars hold up better: 17.6% fail against 19.9% for diesel, a 2.3-point gap across 27,479 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 27.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 14.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 23.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 5,165 | 77.7% | 22.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 14,126 | 80.1% | 19.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 5,924 | 83.0% | 17.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 2,254 | 84.1% | 15.9% | Suspension |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 7.2% | 1,978 |
| 2 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.3% | 1,728 |
| 3 | Tyres | 6.1% | 1,667 |
| 4 | Suspension | 5.4% | 1,489 |
| 5 | Brakes | 4.4% | 1,207 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.0% | 1,114 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 1.9% | 513 |
| 8 | Steering | 0.5% | 144 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joints | 1,714 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 1,376 |
| 3 | Coil spring | 1,139 |
| 4 | Wipers | 921 |
| 5 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 885 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 847 |
| 7 | Brake pads | 555 |
| 8 | Brake discs | 441 |
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 | 27.1% | 7,445 |
| 2 | Brakes | 22.5% | 6,181 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 8.2% | 2,256 |
| 4 | Other defects | 8.1% | 2,234 |
| 5 | Suspension | 5.3% | 1,464 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.4% | 932 |
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 | 3,975 | 10.2% |
| 30-60k | 13,589 | 18.6% |
| 60-90k | 7,631 | 23.6% |
| 90-120k | 1,887 | 26.4% |
| 120-150k | 341 | 27.0% |
| 150k+ | 55 | 25.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 22,011 | 19.9% |
| Petrol | 5,468 | 17.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5,354 | 14.3% |
| 2022 | 5,444 | 17.1% |
| 2023 | 5,603 | 20.3% |
| 2024 | 5,544 | 21.6% |
| 2025 | 5,534 | 23.6% |
What to check before buying a DS Ds4
- Lighting & signalling (7.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Body, structure & corrosion (6.3% of tests): The one to take seriously on older cars — corrosion to structural areas can be costly and is an MOT failure. Typical repair: £200–£1,500+.
- Tyres (6.1% 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 DS Ds4?
80.6% of the 27,479 DS Ds4 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 19.4% fail rate, across model years 2013–2022.
What does the DS Ds4 most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 7.2% of tests, then body, structure & corrosion (6.3%).
Which Ds4 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2018 has the best pass rate at 84.1% and 2015 the weakest at 77.7%, from 2,254 and 5,165 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Ds4 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 10.2% for cars in the 0-30k band and 25.4% for 150k+, a 15.2-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Ds4 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 17.6% of the time against 19.9% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 27,479 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.