Citroën DS5 hatchback (2012-2018) - Reliability & safety
DS 5 is dogged by the company’s reputation for poor reliability, but standard safety equipment is good
French brands like DS have made improvements when it comes to reliability in recent years, but they’re still some way off the market leaders in this regard. Our most recent Driver Power customer satisfaction survey saw owners rank parent company Citroen 20th out of 32 brands – although this result reflects the entire range, not just the DS5, which has been built to high standards to reflect its luxury image.
DS 5 reliability
The DS 5 didn't appear in our 2017 Driver Power satisfaction survey, but parent company Citroen didn't fare too well, coming 26th out of 27 brands. Of those surveyed, 12.8% reported an issue or fault within the first year of ownership.
French cars in general continue to throw up annoying electrical glitches that other manufacturers seem to have largely eliminated. On the plus side, all the DS 5's cabin materials feel solid and extremely high-quality – owners will just have to hope the technology underneath stands the test of time.
Safety
DS' parent brand Citroen has a much better reputation for safety than it does for reliability. The DS 5 was awarded the maximum five-star crash-test rating by Euro NCAP, scoring 89% for adult occupant protection and a very strong 97% in the safety assist category.
Standard safety kit on all models includes anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control to help prevent skids, hill-start assistance, a full set of airbags, ISOFIX child-seat mounting points and a seatbelt warning buzzer.
