2016 DS DS3 MOT pass rate: 71.7% (34,449 tests)

2016-registered DS DS3s passed 71.7% of 34,449 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 9.6 points worse than same-age cars (81.3%). This is one of the lower-scoring DS3 years after correcting for vehicle age — inspect the individual car carefully.

71.7%Pass rate, 2016 cars

90.4Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

34,449Tests analysed

52,716 miMedian mileage at test

74.4% / 66.6%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2016 DS3 getting worse?

Pass rate of 2016-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	75.0% -8.2 vs same-age
2024	71.8% -9.4 vs same-age
2025	68.4% -11.2 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2016 DS3

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	3,885	17.6%
2	Body, chassis, structure	3,871	17.5%
3	Tyres	3,563	16.1%
4	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	3,322	15.0%
5	Brakes	3,154	14.3%
6	Visibility	1,865	8.4%

All DS3 years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2015	19,161	66.6%	-12.1 pts	59,893
2016 (this page)	34,449	71.7%	-9.6 pts	52,716
2017	21,340	77.2%	-6.8 pts	43,695
2018	10,152	80.9%	-5.4 pts	37,074
2019	7,385	86.9%	-1.4 pts	31,627
2020	3,564	85.6%	-4.3 pts	27,043

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: DS DS3 years to avoid.

Buying a 2016 DS3? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2016 DS DS3 reliable?

2016-registered examples passed 71.7% of their MOT tests (34,449 tests, 2023–2025), -9.6 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 10 years old with a median 52,716 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2016 DS3?

The median tested example shows 52,716 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Should I buy the petrol or diesel 2016 DS3?

In this cohort petrols pass 74.4% of tests against 66.6% for diesels. Mileage and use can explain part of that gap, so treat it as a reason to inspect DPF and emissions history, not a fuel-type verdict.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.