DS 3 review - Reliability & safety

DS only became a standalone manufacturer in 2015, and it looks like some issues are still being ironed out. Originally they were still sold alongside their cheaper Citroen stablemates, which diluted the premium image somewhat. It seems DS still has some work to do if it's to be considered in the same breath as Mercedes, Audi or Lexus.

DS finished 22nd out of 30 manufacturers in our 2020 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, behind parent company Citroen in 18th, but hasn’t featured since, so it’s hard to judge owner satisfaction. 

Citroen’s results have improved since, however. In the 2023 edition, it came in 11th place out of 32 manufacturers, and just 14% of respondents reported an issue with their car in the first year of ownership – whilst not directly applicable to DS, that’s an impressive result suggesting parent company Citroen’s reliability is better than average. DS shares its powertrains and tech with Citroen, so it gives a rough guide of what can be expected.

20

Safety

There shouldn’t be too many worries about the DS 3’s safety – it was crash-tested by independent specialists Euro NCAP, and received a four-star score as standard. You’ll need to choose the optional safety pack to get the peace of mind of a full five-star rating. As standard, the DS 3 features autonomous emergency braking and lane keeping assist, but these features are bolstered by an Advanced Safety Pack in higher models, which also get blind spot detection.