DS 3 - Reliability and Safety
The DS 3 redeems itself with great safety credentials but reliability is still largely untested
The standard, European-spec DS 3 was awarded a four-star safety rating from Euro NCAP – not a great result for this class. However, the addition of DS’s Safety Pack (standard in the UK) bumps that up to a full five stars, with an impressive 96% adult occupant score. All DS 3s sold here come with an emergency brake system, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning, speed limit recognition and intelligent speed adaptation.
The Safety Pack is a £1,000 option on all but the top-spec Opera model, and adds blind-spot detection, along with front parking sensors, and a 360-degree camera system.
Neither the DS 3 nor the DS brand appeared in our 2023 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, but Citroen was voted into 11th place on a list of 32 manufacturers.
Warranty
All DS 3 models have a three-year/60,000-mile warranty. The all-electric DS 3 E-Tense also comes with an eight-year/100,000-mile battery warranty, which covers you if the charging capacity of the batteries falls below 70 per cent of their original capacity. The DS Assistance roadside assistance package is free for three years.
Servicing
DS provides the option of fixed-price servicing for all of its cars, and fixed-price maintenance is also available – with jobs such as brake replacement and timing belt changes offered at a set cost – but it’s unlikely you’ll need the majority of these during an average three-year PCP ownership cycle.
