2015 Citroen DS3 1.6L Diesel · FN15 MWP

Exhaust security is the recurring theme in this DS3's record, and it is the defining mechanical story a buyer should weigh. The exhaust was flagged as an insecure system and an insecure rear silencer in the September 2024 failures, an exhaust bracket was recorded as snapped back in March 2022, and the system failed again in September 2025 for being insecure before passing on retest the same day. Alongside this, the September 2025 pass carried advisories for a nearside front tyre worn close to the legal limit on its edge and slight play in the nearside track rod end ball joint. The overall trend is not worsening dramatically, but neither is it clean: 2023 and mid-2024 passed without defects, yet the car has required same-day retests in three of the last four years, including a split nearside front CV boot in September 2024 and registration plate lamp failures in both 2022 and 2023. The record suggests a car that is being kept test-legal, but with wear items repeatedly reaching failure point before rectification. At 71,680 miles over roughly eleven years, the DS3 has accumulated around 6,500 miles per year, which is typical for its age and shows no unusual gaps or sudden jumps in the recorded data. The test dates do reveal an interesting pattern, with the annual test drifting from March in 2022, to June in 2023 and mid-2024, then to September in 2024 and 2025, suggesting tests have occasionally been left late or the car has been presented more than once per cycle. Moderate annual mileage of this kind is consistent with normal wear on consumables rather than either heavy use or prolonged standing, so the failures seen here, such as the CV boot split and exhaust mountings, are age and mileage related deterioration rather than symptoms of abuse or neglect. On a test drive, priority should go to the front nearside corner, where both the worn tyre edge and the track rod end play were flagged. Slight play in a track rod end will typically present as a faint knock or looseness over broken surfaces and can produce vague or wandering steering; edge wear on the same tyre is consistent with the wheel alignment being out, so check whether the car tracks straight on a level road without steering correction and inspect the replacement tyre's shoulders for uneven wear. Ask for evidence that the track rod end has been replaced since the September 2025 advisory, because an advisory left unattended will progress to a failure and accelerate tyre wear. The exhaust history warrants a physical inspection underneath the car: given a snapped bracket in 2022 and repeated insecurity failures in 2024 and 2025, confirm the current system is properly mounted with intact hangers and brackets, and listen for blowing, rattling, or knocking from the rear silencer over bumps and at idle. The CV boot replaced after the 2024 failure should be checked for fresh grease leakage or cracking, and a full-lock slow turn in each direction should be silent, as any clicking indicates joint wear. Finally, verify all registration plate lamps illuminate, since lamp faults have appeared twice in the record, and confirm the September 2025 pass certificate is the current valid document before purchase.