Common problems
DS DS5 common problems
What MOT testers find on the DS DS5: the parts that fail or get advisories most often at each age, against all cars of the same age. From 20,165 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
At 10 years, the most tested age
What stands out
- Suspension fails show up on 15.8 of every 100 MOTs of a DS DS5 at 10 years old (n=4,819), against 9.7 for all cars of that age (n=9,049,507).
- The fail item testers record most often at 10 years: coil spring broken, on 7.3 per 100 MOTs (all cars 3.2).
- The most common advisory or minor defect: tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge, on 23.7 per 100 MOTs.
Problems by part at 10 years
How many of every 100 MOTs found a fail, or an advisory or minor defect, in each area. A test with faults in two areas counts in both.
| Area | Fails | All cars | Advisories | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 15.8 | 9.7 | 17.4 | 18.2 |
| Lights and electrics | 13.8 | 11.2 | 9.6 | 5.9 |
| Tyres | 9.3 | 6.9 | 30.2 | 26.4 |
| Brakes | 7.3 | 6.5 | 23.2 | 21.6 |
| Body and structure | 6.3 | 2.9 | 4.0 | 3.9 |
| Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 4.0 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 3.9 |
| Steering | 3.7 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.4 |
| Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 2.9 | 2.8 | 6.4 | 4.0 |
| Seat belts and airbags | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Number plates and VIN | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 2.0 |
| Road wheels | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.8 |
What testers fail most on the DS5 at 10 years
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | Typical repair (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coil spring broken | Suspension | 7.3 | 3.2 | £64 to £236 per spring (rough guide) |
| Tyre tread below 1.6 mm | Tyres | 5.5 | 2.7 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Driveshaft CV boot split | Body and structure | 5.4 | 1.3 | £88 to £196 per boot (rough guide) |
| Suspension arm bush worn | Suspension | 3.3 | 1.4 | £92 to £237 per arm (rough guide) |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights and electrics | 3.3 | 1.0 | £16 to £39 per car (rough guide) |
| Suspension ball joint worn | Suspension | 3.2 | 1.8 | £75 to £237 per side (rough guide) |
| Steering track rod end: ball joint play | Steering | 3.1 | 1.3 | £54 to £128 per side (rough guide) |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | Lights and electrics | 3.0 | 1.2 | £10 to £47 per lamp |
| Brake pads under 1.5 mm | Brakes | 2.9 | 2.1 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Tyre with cords exposed | Tyres | 2.2 | 1.4 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
Early warnings: advisories and minor defects at 10 years
Advisories and minor defects are recorded, but the car still passes. Across all cars, a part with an advisory or minor defect failed at the next MOT 5.5 times in 100 (n=88,666,940 pairs of consecutive MOTs), against 0.3 times in 100 when the same part had none (n=12,936,860,350).
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | If it needs replacing (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge | Tyres | 23.7 | 17.0 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened | Brakes | 12.2 | 9.6 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
| Brake pads: wearing thin | Brakes | 10.7 | 8.1 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Suspension arm pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement | Suspension | 9.0 | 5.8 | £92 to £237 per arm (rough guide) |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | Lights and electrics | 8.4 | 3.2 | |
| Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive | Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 5.4 | 3.4 | |
| Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing | Tyres | 3.6 | 8.6 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge | Tyres | 3.2 | 2.2 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Drive shaft joints: constant velocity boot severely deteriorated | Body and structure | 3.1 | 1.0 | |
| Suspension arm ball joint: ball joint has slight play | Suspension | 2.8 | 1.4 | £75 to £237 per side (rough guide) |
Repair estimates are a guide for an independent garage: labour at the national median local garage rate (median £78 an hour from 65 garages, ONS price quotes) times estimated labour hours, plus a parts band. Labour hours and most parts bands are estimates, not quotes, and prices vary by model, engine and region. A warning light fault shows the cost of the diagnosis only.
How problems change with age
| Age | Tests (n) | Suspension | Lights and electrics | Tyres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 years | 1,772 | 3.4 | 6.9 | 7.9 |
| 8 years | 2,744 | 6.2 | 9.4 | 7.1 |
| 9 years | 4,295 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 8.1 |
| 10 years | 4,819 | 15.8 | 13.8 | 9.3 |
| 11 years | 3,868 | 17.2 | 15.9 | 9.0 |
| 12 years | 2,667 | 18.7 | 15.7 | 8.7 |
Mileage
At 10 years, DS DS5 cars showing 60,000 to 90,000 miles failed 37.4% of MOTs (n=1,794); the band that failed most, 90,000 to 120,000 miles, failed 40.9% (n=1,511). For pass and fail rates by age, see MOT fail rates by model.
What to check on a viewing
On the DS DS5, testers most often record coil spring broken; tyre tread below 1.6 mm; driveshaft CV boot split. Look at these first, then the areas below.
Suspension
- Listen for knocks or clonks over speed bumps and rough roads on the test drive.
- Push down hard on each corner: the car should settle at once rather than keep bouncing.
- Look behind the wheels for broken or heavily rusted coil springs and split rubber bushes.
- Check that the car sits level and that no tyre is worn on one edge only.
Lights and electrics
- With someone outside, try every light: dipped and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and number plate lamps.
- Check that the warning lights come on with the ignition and go out once the engine runs.
- Look for misted, cracked or yellowed headlamp lenses.
Tyres
- Check the tread across the full width of all four tyres, and the spare if there is one.
- Look for cuts, bulges and cracking in the sidewalls.
- Wear on one edge only can point to worn suspension or the tracking being out.
Ask for the car's MOT history and service record: advisories that repeat from one year to the next show what has been left. GOV.UK MOT history.
Questions
What are the most common problems on the DS DS5?
At 10 years, the age with the most MOT tests (4,819), the fail items testers record most often on the DS DS5 are coil spring broken (7.3 per 100 MOTs), tyre tread below 1.6 mm (5.5 per 100 MOTs), driveshaft CV boot split (5.4 per 100 MOTs). The most common advisories or minor defects are tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (23.7) and brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (12.2).
Which parts of the DS DS5 fail more often than on other cars?
At 10 years: suspension (15.8 per 100 MOTs against 9.7 for all cars); body and structure (6.3 per 100 MOTs against 2.9 for all cars); lights and electrics (13.8 per 100 MOTs against 11.2 for all cars). Compared with 9,049,507 MOTs of all cars the same age.
DS DS5 problems by area
More on the DS DS5
Other DS models
The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.
Looking at a DS DS5?
These figures describe the model, not the car in front of you. Found one you might buy? See what the VetTheCar Buying Report covers, or use the tools that work without a registration.
See a sample report Car tools · MOT fail rates by model · Compare models by MOT record
Repair estimates: ONS consumer price quotes for local garage labour (09/2025 to 08/2026), the MOT inspection manual for defect wording, and estimated labour hours and parts bands. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ONS.
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