How reliable is the DS DS4 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the DS DS4, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 67.1% across 4,945 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 DS DS4?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 31.0% of all DS DS4 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a DS DS4 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 62,665 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.

Does a DS DS4 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 89.7% of DS DS4 tests pass. By 9 to 11 years, that falls to 62.4%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most DS DS4 models petrol or diesel?

Of the DS DS4 cars tested, 70% are diesel, 26% are petrol, 3% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

DS DS4 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 4,945 recorded MOT tests of the DS DS4, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 4,945 MOT tests, 67.1% of DS DS4 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the DS DS4 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 31.6% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 62,665 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

67.1%unadjusted, not comparable4,945 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the DS4. 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 4,945 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed DS DS4 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 etc31.6%
431 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
2.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened28.0%
381 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements19.2%
261 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps8.6%
117 occurrencesLamp not working explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm8.0%
109 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.A tyre cords visible or damaged7.0%
96 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
7.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen5.7%
78 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn5.5%
75 occurrencesBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
9.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn4.5%
61 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
10.A tyre seriously damaged4.4%
60 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all DS DS4 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 requirements31.0%
1,531 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured20.3%
1,002 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.0%
447 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged7.1%
349 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users4.5%
225 tests
6.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn4.2%
209 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
7.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements3.6%
180 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn3.5%
172 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs90%

6–8 yrs68%

9–11 yrs62%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The DS4 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 62,665
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel70.5%
Petrol26.2%
Hybrid3.3%

Trim names grouped into this model (7)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

DS4 BASTILLE + PURETECH S/S A
DS4 PERFORMANCE LINE + PHEV A
DS4 PERFORMANCE LINE BHDI SS A
DS4 PERFORMANCE LINE PHEV AUTO
DS4 PERFORMANCE LNE PTECH SS A
DS4 RIVOLI PHEV AUTO
DS4 RIVOLI PURETECH S/S AUTO

Check a specific DS DS4

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

Compare within the range

Other DS models

DS DS3 — 68.0% adjusted
DS DS3 Crossback — 82.4% unadjusted
DS DS7 Crossback — 83.9% unadjusted
DS DS7 — 82.2% unadjusted
DS DS5 — 70.8% unadjusted
All DS models

Common questions

How reliable is the DS DS4 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the DS DS4, 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 67.1% across 4,945 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 DS DS4?: 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 31.6% of failed DS DS4 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 DS DS4?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 31.0% of all DS DS4 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a DS DS4 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 62,665 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.
Does a DS DS4 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 89.7% of DS DS4 tests pass. By 9 to 11 years, that falls to 62.4%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most DS DS4 models petrol or diesel?: Of the DS DS4 cars tested, 70% are diesel, 26% are petrol, 3% are hybrid. 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.