All generations and engines together · 14,117 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 59k
One of the worst family hatchbacks, by age and by mileage. Watch corrosion and suspension. A risky used buy. Check the MOT history for repeating corrosion advisories before you go.
Split by first-registration year. Cars registered in a changeover year can belong to either generation.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
The 1.2 PureTech turbo petrol, fitted to the current DS 4 and the DS 4 Crossback before it, can dilute its own oil with unburned fuel from cold starts. That softens the timing belt, which runs inside the sump rather than at the front of the engine like most, and it can shed rubber or snap outright, wrecking pistons and valves. Failures have shown up from around 60,000 miles, sometimes sooner, with a rebuild or replacement engine running £3,000-£6,000. Stellantis, DS's parent company, opened an official compensation scheme in January 2025 covering oil consumption and premature belt failure on PureTech engines built between 2012 and 2022.
The turbocharged 1.6 THP petrol in the original Citroen DS4 can let its timing chain stretch, throwing random misfire codes and, in worse cases, knocking the ignition timing out far enough to trip limp mode. A rattly, chain-like noise on a cold start is the tell. There's no fixed factory replacement interval, so it tends to go unchecked until it's already noisy. A chain and tensioner job is a few hundred pounds done proactively; leave it and the bill gets much bigger.
Cars fitted with the EGS6 gearbox, sold as an automatic but really a robotised manual, are known for jerky, hesitant changes, especially crawling in traffic or manoeuvring at parking speed. Owners and mechanics report the hydraulic actuator that works the clutch can fail, in some cases after a split return pipe lets it run dry. Expect a rev-and-lurch feel between gears at first, then a box that struggles to select at all. Actuator repairs run into four figures at an independent specialist.
On the BlueHDi diesel, the DPF can clog on cars used mostly for short runs, cutting power and triggering a regeneration warning, while the EGR valve is prone to carbon build-up that causes smoking under acceleration and rough running. Some owners have also needed the AdBlue tank or pump replaced after an SCR system fault. None of this is unique to DS, it's the same diesel family used across the wider PSA/Stellantis range, but it's a real running cost to budget for. DPF or EGR repairs typically land between £800 and £2,500.
A recurring, minor complaint is a touchscreen that's slow to wake after starting the engine, sometimes staying blank or freezing until the car is restarted. Owners also mention occasional central locking glitches and stray warning lights that clear themselves. It's usually a software niggle rather than a hardware failure, and a dealer software update often cures it, but it's not always covered once the car is out of warranty.
Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.
Saveable checklistThe physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.
Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.
Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.
The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 4,615 tests in this band.
Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.
Same segment (Family hatchbacks), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.