Used car guide

2021 DS DS 3 Crossback: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2021 DS DS 3 Crossbacks, from 756 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

756MOT tests in 2025
78%pass first time (all 2021 cars: 87%)
6,700typical miles a year
3.3×the usual rate for wipers

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2021 DS DS 3 Crossbacks than on all cars registered in 2021.

  • Wipers3.3× usual
    DS DS 3 Crossback
    12.6% All 2021 cars
    3.8%

    Failed outright at MOT: 10.2%, against 2.4% of all 2021 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £15–£60 our estimate

    At the viewing: Test the wipers and washers on every speed.

  • Ball joint13.8× usual
    DS DS 3 Crossback
    8.3% All 2021 cars
    0.6%

    Failed outright at MOT: 2.2%, against 0.2% of all 2021 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.

By area

The share of 2021 DS DS 3 Crossback MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    25% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Suspension
    14% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    14% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Brakes
    9% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Lights and electrics
    4% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Seats and seatbelts
    2% of testsRough price £80–£250

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock, and retract cleanly.

Known faults

Reported by owners, mechanics and buying guides for this model and age. Check which engine the car has, as some apply to one engine only.

  • Timing belt that runs in oil (PureTech petrol)
    1.0 and 1.2 PureTech petrol

    The 1.0 and 1.2 PureTech petrol engines use a timing belt that runs in the engine oil (a “wet belt”). It can break down early and shed rubber that blocks the oil supply, which can wreck the engine. Some also burn too much oil. Stellantis now covers earlier engines for belt and oil-burning problems for up to 10 years or 112,000 miles, as long as the car has been serviced on schedule.

    At the viewing: Ask for a full service history showing the right oil, and when the belt was last checked or changed. Check the oil level on the dipstick, and that no oil-pressure or engine warning light stays on.

    Source: Parkers: Stellantis wet belt compensation, and the cars at risk, Stellantis: compensation policy for earlier PureTech 1.0 and 1.2 engines (7 May 2025)

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20221,070Tyres 26%
2020426Tyres 30%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2021 DS DS 3 Crossbacks registered in 2021. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score