Does the DS 3 fail the MOT on brakes more than it should?
The DS 3 records 10.02 brakes failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 8.02 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+2.00, 95% interval +1.92 to +2.07). It ranks 226 of 712 models on brakes (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on brakes · check a DS 3 by registration
What exactly fails on brakes?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the DS 3 is “Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn”, recorded 15,792 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn | 15,792 | 2.50 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 15,543 | 2.46 |
| Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured | 7,318 | 1.16 |
| Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake | 6,141 | 0.97 |
| Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution. | 3,990 | 0.63 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 632,064 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a DS 3 gets a brakes advisory, how often does it fail next time?
10.7% of DS 3 MOTs with a brakes advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 5,713 miles later (132,323 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 132,323 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
DS 3 2010 · DS 3 2011 · DS 3 2012 · DS 3 2013 · DS 3 2014 · DS 3 2015 · DS 3 2016 · DS 3 2017 · DS 3 2018 · DS 3 2019 · DS 3 2020 · DS 3 in Finland · DS 3 in the Netherlands · DS 3 by postcode area · DS 3 body, chassis and structure failures · DS 3 vehicle identification failures · DS 3 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · DS 3 noise, emissions and leaks failures · DS 3 road wheels failures · DS 3 seat belts and airbags failures · DS 3 steering failures · DS 3 suspension failures · DS 3 tyres failures · DS 3 visibility failures