DS 3 vs Renault Clio: which fails its MOT less?
Which of the DS 3 and Renault Clio fails its MOT less depends on age.
- of DS 3 MOTs passed in 2024
- 65.3%of DS 3 MOTs passed in 2024
Renault Clio: 63.8%
They change places at age 10.
Data: DVSA MOT results · 2024 · 429,174 tests
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Which fails less for its age?
Allowing for age, the Renault Clio has the lower MOT Risk Index (136.1 against 146.1; 100 = normal for its age), but which fails less depends on age.
Both fail more often than normal for their age.
| Measure | DS 3 | Renault Clio | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passed at the first attempt, % | 57.0 | 57.2 | 2024 |
| MOT Risk Index (100 = normal) | 146.1 | 136.1 | 2024 |
| 95% interval of the index | 145.1–147.2 | 135.6–136.7 | 2024 |
| Rank among 761 models (1 = fails least for its age) | 737 | 715 | 2024 |
| First tests | 105,294 | 323,880 | 2024 |
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After defects were fixed at the test centre
65.3% of DS 3 tests and 63.8% of Renault Clio tests passed, including defects fixed during the test. This is a different outcome from passing at the first attempt.
Raw pass rates point the other way because the fleets differ in age.
What explains the difference?
The clearest difference is body, chassis, structure: against its own class and age, the DS 3 runs +12.5 items per 100 tests and the Renault Clio −0.1, so the Renault Clio has 12.5 fewer per 100 tests (95% interval 12.4 to 12.6).
Each model is compared with its own class and age; the fleets can differ in mileage and use.
More detail
Dangerous defects and advisory items
| Measure | DS 3 | Renault Clio |
|---|---|---|
| Dangerous defects per 100 tests | 13.4 | 14.1 |
| Advisory items per 100 tests | 137.7 | 142.3 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data, 2019–2024. A test can record several items. CSV
At what age does one of them fail more?
They change places at age 10: the difference is clear at 11 of 12 ages, and which fails less depends on the age of the car. Across the 4 yearly tests from age 4 to 7, the gaps add up to 8.8 extra failed tests per 100 for the DS 3 (a sum of yearly rates, not the chance of one car failing).
| Age | Difference, pp | 95% interval | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | −1.7 | −2.4 to −1.1 | DS 3 fails less |
| 4 | +2.8 | +2.2 to +3.5 | Renault Clio fails less |
| 5 | +2.9 | +2.3 to +3.6 | Renault Clio fails less |
| 6 | +1.7 | +1.1 to +2.3 | Renault Clio fails less |
| 7 | +1.3 | +0.7 to +1.9 | Renault Clio fails less |
| 8 | +1.1 | +0.5 to +1.7 | Renault Clio fails less |
| 9 | −0.4 | −1.1 to +0.2 | not distinguishable |
| 10 | −0.8 | −1.5 to −0.2 | DS 3 fails less |
| 11 | −1.6 | −2.3 to −0.8 | DS 3 fails less |
| 12 | −2.2 | −3.1 to −1.2 | DS 3 fails less |
| 13 | −3.1 | −4.4 to −1.8 | DS 3 fails less |
| 14 | −3.8 | −6.1 to −1.5 | DS 3 fails less |
| Age band | Ages included | DS 3, % | Renault Clio, % | Difference, pp | 95% interval | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3–5 | 3–5 | 22.7 | 20.1 | +2.6 | +2.4 to +2.9 | Renault Clio fails less |
| 6–10 | 6–10 | 41.0 | 40.6 | +0.4 | +0.2 to +0.6 | Renault Clio fails less |
| 11+ | 11–14 | 49.6 | 52.6 | −3.0 | −3.4 to −2.7 | DS 3 fails less |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 2,247,836 (initial tests at shared ages) · Method: difference of two proportions per age, Bonferroni-corrected for 12 ages; age bands pool the published ages with an unadjusted 95% interval, and the same car can appear at more than one age, so that interval is somewhat narrow · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Where do their MOT failures diverge?
The clearest difference is body, chassis, structure: against its own class and age, the DS 3 runs +12.5 items per 100 tests and the Renault Clio −0.1, so the Renault Clio has 12.5 fewer per 100 tests (95% interval 12.4 to 12.6).
| Component group | DS 3 vs its class | Renault Clio vs its class | Gap, DS 3 minus Renault Clio | 95% interval | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body, chassis, structure | +12.5 | −0.1 | +12.5 | +12.4 to +12.6 | Renault Clio fails less |
| Suspension | +3.6 | +10.9 | −7.3 | −7.4 to −7.2 | DS 3 fails less |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | +8.6 | +13.7 | −5.1 | −5.3 to −5.0 | DS 3 fails less |
| Steering | +2.1 | +5.2 | −3.1 | −3.2 to −3.0 | DS 3 fails less |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | +1.0 | −0.9 | +1.9 | +1.9 to +2.0 | Renault Clio fails less |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | +0.0 | +1.5 | −1.5 | −1.5 to −1.4 | DS 3 fails less |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 2,789,624 (initial tests) · Method: each model's failure items per 100 tests against the rate expected for its own class and age; Poisson interval; the age standard leaves the model out and is treated as fixed; items in the same test are treated as independent, so the interval is slightly narrow · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If one fails, which is more likely to fail again?
A failure carries about the same extra risk of failing again on both: 8.9 percentage points on the DS 3, 9.3 on the Renault Clio.
| Measure | DS 3 | Renault Clio |
|---|---|---|
| After a failed test, % | 43.4 | 45.6 |
| After a passed test, % | 34.4 | 36.3 |
| Extra risk carried by a failure, pp | 8.9 | 9.3 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 203,846 (tests after a fail) · Method: test chains of the same vehicles; cars sold or scrapped after a fail drop out · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
What do six years of MOTs show about the two?
The biggest gap in advisories turning into fails is suspension: 20.3% on the DS 3 against 31.2% on the Renault Clio failed on the same item at the next MOT.
| Component | DS 3 | Renault Clio | Difference, pp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 20.3 | 31.2 | −10.8 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 25.9 | 36.6 | −10.6 |
| Brakes | 10.7 | 17.2 | −6.5 |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 4.4 | 8.6 | −4.3 |
| Visibility | 11.5 | 15.3 | −3.9 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 18.2 | 14.5 | +3.7 |
| Steering | 22.5 | 24.7 | −2.2 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 3.1 | 4.6 | −1.5 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.7 | 6.7 | −1.0 |
| Road wheels | 0.9 | 1.1 | −0.3 |
| Measure | DS 3 | Renault Clio |
|---|---|---|
| Repaired and passed the same day | 50.8% | 43.2% |
| Passed 1–10 days later | 47.4% | 54.0% |
| Median retest delay | 0.0 days | 1.0 days |
| Failures per 10,000 miles | 0.638 | 0.815 |
| Three-test clean streak | 31.0% | 28.8% |
| Same advisory repeated 3+ times | 39.5% | 36.2% |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,977,070 (tracked advisories) · Method: same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT; common publishable components only · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Recalls, other countries and running costs, side by side
DVSA lists not matched recall campaigns matched to the DS 3 and 24 to the Renault Clio; more campaigns do not by themselves mean a less reliable car. Abroad, compare each model with that country's own average, because pass rates do not carry across rulebooks. Repair bills are catalogue estimates, not quotes.
| Measure | DS 3 | Renault Clio |
|---|---|---|
| DVSA recall campaigns listed | not matched | 24 |
| Finland Katsastus: fails, % (national average 26.3%) | 36.2 (647 inspections) | 36.4 (9,865 inspections) |
| Netherlands APK: fails, % (national average 50.8%) | 55.5 (9,747 inspections) | 54.9 (120,379 inspections) |
| Norway PKK: fails, % (national average 33.7%) | fewer than 500 inspections | 41.8 (2,167 inspections) |
| Expected MOT repair bill, £ (estimate) | £77 | £136 |
| Repair bill range, £ (catalogue range, not a 95% interval) | £77–£146 | £136–£259 |
Source: DVSA vehicle recalls register (OGL v3.0); Statens vegvesen PKK (CC BY 4.0), Traficom Katsastus (CC BY 4.0), RDW APK (CC0), adapted; UK repair price catalogue · Window: register as published; inspections 2024 · n = 142,805 (inspections abroad) · Method: recall campaigns matched by make and model, licensed-fleet denominator where available; abroad, samples below 500 suppressed and each model set against that country's own average, with no difference taken across countries; repair bill = chance of failing each item × its most common UK repair price, a catalogue estimate · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV · licences and full notice
Not enough data to compare
Norway: only one of the two models has enough inspections there, so this page does not compare them on that country.
How to cite this comparison
MOT Risk Index (2026). DS 3 vs Renault Clio: MOT statistics 2024 (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 25 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/compare/ds3-vs-renault-clio/
How the MOT Risk Index and every figure on this page are calculated: methodology.
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DS 3 vs Renault Clio: quick answers
Is the DS 3 or the Renault Clio more reliable?
Allowing for age, the Renault Clio has the lower MOT Risk Index (136.1 against 146.1; 100 = normal for its age), but which fails less depends on age.
Does the DS 3 or the Renault Clio fail more MOTs?
43.0% of DS 3 first tests and 42.8% of Renault Clio first tests failed in 2024. These raw rates do not allow for age; the MOT Risk Index does.
Which should I buy, the DS 3 or the Renault Clio?
On MOT reliability neither is a practical winner. Choose the individual car with the cleaner MOT history and fewer repeated advisories.