How reliable is the DS DS5 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the DS DS5, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 70.8% across 1,301 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 DS5?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 34.8% of all DS DS5 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 73,414 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 DS DS5 models petrol or diesel?

Of the DS DS5 cars tested, 96% are diesel, 2% are diesel hybrid, 2% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

DS DS5 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 1,301 recorded MOT tests of the DS DS5, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 1,301 MOT tests, 70.8% of DS DS5 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the DS 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 34.9% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 73,414 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

70.8%unadjusted, not comparable1,301 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 1,301 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed DS 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 etc34.9%
117 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements20.6%
69 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.6%
32 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
4.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened9.6%
32 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
5.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements8.4%
28 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
6.A tyre cords visible or damaged7.8%
26 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
7.A tyre seriously damaged6.9%
23 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
8.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction6.3%
21 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
9.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn5.4%
18 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
10.A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps5.1%
17 occurrencesLamp not working explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all DS 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 requirements34.8%
453 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured13.6%
177 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm11.1%
145 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
4.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn6.0%
78 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
5.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users5.5%
71 tests
6.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements4.5%
58 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
7.A tyre seriously damaged4.2%
54 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
8.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn3.1%
40 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained

What gets tested

The DS5 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 73,414
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel96.1%
Diesel hybrid2.2%
Petrol1.8%

Check a specific DS DS5

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 DS4 — 67.1% unadjusted
DS DS3 Crossback — 82.4% unadjusted
DS DS7 Crossback — 83.9% unadjusted
DS DS7 — 82.2% unadjusted
All DS models

Common questions

How reliable is the DS DS5 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the DS 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 70.8% across 1,301 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 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 34.9% of failed DS 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 DS DS5?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 34.8% of all DS DS5 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a DS DS5 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 73,414 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 DS DS5 models petrol or diesel?: Of the DS DS5 cars tested, 96% are diesel, 2% are diesel hybrid, 2% 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.