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MOT fail rates by first-use year

2014 DS DS4 MOT fail rate and common faults

How DS DS4 cars first used in 2014 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 8,908 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated

At 11 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 11 (n=2,122)42.4%
All cars at 11 years (n=8,087,514)33.3%
Difference+9.1 pts
MOT tests of 2014 cars, 2022 to 20258,908

What stands out

  • In 2025, at 11 years old, DS DS4 cars first used in 2014 failed 42.4% of MOTs (2,122 tests), 9.1 points above the 33.3% for all cars that age.
  • From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 8 to 11 years old, the fail rate moved from 37.4% to 42.4%.
  • DS DS4 cars first used a year earlier, in 2013, failed 46.3% at the same age of 11 years (3,572 tests, in 2024).
  • The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the DS DS4 at 11 years, is coil spring broken, at 9.6 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 3.6).

MOT fail rate by test year

DS DS4 cars first used in 2014: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test yearAgeMOT fail rateTests (n)All carsDifference
20228 years37.4%2,29523.8%+13.6 pts
20239 years39.1%2,26927.1%+12.0 pts
202410 years41.4%2,22230.3%+11.2 pts
202511 years42.4%2,12233.3%+9.1 pts

Most common faults at 11 years

These figures cover all DS DS4 MOTs (first used before 2021) at 11 years: cars first used 2011 to 2014, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=9,362). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail itemPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Coil spring broken9.63.6
Driveshaft CV boot split8.81.6
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Wear7.51.5
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear5.62.8
Suspension ball joint worn3.92.1
Steering track rod end: ball joint play3.51.6
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Wear3.31.3
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear2.62.1
Headlamp aim: too low Wear2.31.4
Handbrake too weak2.21.2

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=9,362). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

AdvisoryPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear23.817.6
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened17.310.0
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear13.03.9
Brake pads wearing thin Wear7.97.8
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement6.26.6
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive5.24.6
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear5.18.7
Suspension ball joint: slight play3.71.7
Drive shaft joints: constant velocity boot severely deteriorated3.41.4
Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)3.21.7

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=9,362). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 11 years

These figures cover all DS DS4 MOTs (first used before 2021) at 11 years: cars first used 2011 to 2014, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=9,362). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

FuelShare of testsMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars, same fuelMedian mileage
Diesel89.6%44.6%8,38634.3%92,213 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 11 years

These figures cover all DS DS4 MOTs (first used before 2021) at 11 years: cars first used 2011 to 2014, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=9,362). At 11 years, DS DS4 cars at 120,000 to 150,000 miles failed more often (44.8%, n=1,141) than those at 60,000 to 90,000 miles (43.7%, n=3,620). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
60,000 to 90,000 miles43.7%3,62034.2%
90,000 to 120,000 miles47.5%3,24437.8%
120,000 to 150,000 miles44.8%1,14138.8%

Car tax rules for a 2014 car

  • Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

  • Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
  • Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2014 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
  • The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the DS DS4

Other DS models first used in 2014

ModelAge at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
DS DS3 (2014)11 years in 202547.0%17,43533.3%

More on the DS DS4

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2014 DS DS4 cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.