How reliable is the Citroen DS5 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Citroen DS5, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 60.5% across 3,899 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What do testers most often warn about on a Citroen DS5?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 37.0% of all Citroen DS5 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Citroen DS5 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 102,821 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Are most Citroen DS5 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Citroen DS5 cars tested, 89% are diesel, 9% are diesel hybrid, 1% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Citroen DS5 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 3,899 recorded MOT tests of the Citroen DS5, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 3,899 MOT tests, 60.5% of Citroen DS5 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Citroen DS5 fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, which appears in 25.4% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 102,821 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

60.5%unadjusted, not comparable3,899 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the DS5. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 3,899 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Citroen DS5 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc25.4%
336 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
2.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened24.8%
327 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements16.4%
217 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn14.8%
195 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn12.9%
170 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play10.8%
143 occurrencesBall joint worn explained
7.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements10.5%
139 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
8.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.8%
130 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
9.A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps8.1%
107 occurrencesLamp not working explained
10.A tyre cords visible or damaged7.3%
97 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Citroen DS5 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements37.0%
1,444 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured17.1%
667 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn15.4%
599 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm10.4%
406 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users8.8%
342 tests
6.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements5.7%
222 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
7.A tyre seriously damaged5.0%
196 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
8.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn5.0%
195 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained

What gets tested

The DS5 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 102,821
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel88.8%
Diesel hybrid9.3%
Petrol0.7%
Hybrid0.6%

Check a specific Citroen DS5

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Citroen models

Citroen C3 — 63.9% adjusted
Citroen Berlingo — 61.9% adjusted
Citroen C1 — 68.7% adjusted
Citroen C4 — 63.8% adjusted
Citroen DS3 — 51.9% adjusted
Citroen Dispatch — 62.0% adjusted
All Citroen models

Common questions

How reliable is the Citroen DS5 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Citroen DS5, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 60.5% across 3,899 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Citroen DS5?: The item recorded most often is "A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc", which appears in 25.4% of failed Citroen DS5 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Citroen DS5?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 37.0% of all Citroen DS5 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Citroen DS5 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 102,821 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Are most Citroen DS5 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Citroen DS5 cars tested, 89% are diesel, 9% are diesel hybrid, 1% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.