2009 DS DS 3 problems

• 1.6 VTi 120 / 1.6 16v (EP6/EP6C, N12/N16, naturally aspirated)

  120 hp · EP6, EP6C, N12, N16

  It does not inherit the chain risk documented on the turbo versions, but it shares with the whole Prince family the fragility of the water pump and heat exchanger described by fiches-auto.fr.^[2]

  With caution

• 1.6 THP medium output (EP6DT/EP6DTS/EP6CDT, N14/N18; 140-190 hp)

  140–190 hp · EP6DT, EP6DTS, EP6CDT, N14, N18

  Real risk of stretching of the timing chain and tensioner on pre-2012 units, which can be checked by listening to the engine cold and reviewing the service history; it also shares the oil consumption and the high-pressure pump failures documented across the whole turbo family.^[3][4][5]

  With caution

• 1.6 THP high performance (EP6CDXD/EP6FDTR/EP6CDTR, John Cooper Works N14/N18; 200-270 hp)

  200–270 hp · EP6CDXD, EP6FDTR, EP6CDTR, N14, N18

  It shares with the rest of the turbo family the chain risk on pre-2012 units, the oil consumption and the high-pressure pump failures; as the highest-output versions, any cooling or lubrication defect is subjected to greater thermal stress.^[2][3][4]

  With caution

Faults that affect 2009 cars

• Critical severityFrequency: CommonTimingTiming chain and tensioner stretch (turbo versions, before 2012)Yes: on the turbo versions of the 1.6 THP, built mostly before 2012, the timing chain and its tensioner wear out prematurely; if the chain jumps teeth, the engine can go out of time or seize. BMW, co-designer of the block, issued a technical bulletin on this fault in 2013.
• High severityFrequency: CommonCoolingFragile water pump and heat exchangerYes: both the naturally aspirated 1.6 VTi and the turbo 1.6 THP share, according to fiches-auto.fr, a water pump and a heat exchanger described as fragile; in the most serious cases, the resulting overheating has gone as far as damaging the cylinder head.
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonInjectionHigh-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failure on the turbo versionsThe high-pressure pump that feeds the direct injection of the turbo (THP) versions can fail. MINI, which uses the same block in the Cooper S, extended the warranty on this part in 2010 to 10 years or 192,000 km for 2007-2009 models in the US, without the need for a recall.
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonLubricationOil consumption on the turbo versionsYes: oil consumption between changes is one of the defects that the French motoring press repeatedly associates with the turbo versions of the 1.6 THP, used by Peugeot, Citroën and MINI. We have not found that PSA or BMW acknowledged a specific campaign or extended warranty for this reason.
• Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalIgnitionSpark plugs and ignition coils that wear out early on the 1.6 THPOn the 1.6 THP turbo a noticeable minority of owners replace spark plugs and coils earlier than expected: fiches-auto.fr records ignition warnings in 12% of opinions on the 200 hp THP. It causes judder and the engine warning light.

• 1.4 16v / VTi (EP3, N12; 90-98 hp)

  90–98 hp · EP3, N12

  It shares with the rest of the Prince family the risk of timing chain and tensioner wear flagged by a specialist German garage, and fiches-auto.fr documents frequent oil consumption in this displacement; however, it does not inherit the problems specific to the direct injection of the turbo versions.^[4][7]

  With caution

• 1.6 16v / VTi (EP6/EP6C, N12/N16; 118-121 hp)

  118–121 hp · EP6, EP6C, N12, N16

  It shares with the rest of the Prince family the risk of timing chain and tensioner wear flagged by a specialist German garage, and fiches-auto.fr documents both frequent oil consumption and a fragile water pump and heat exchanger, shared with MINI and with the turbocharged 1.6 THP.^[2][4][7]

  With caution

Faults that affect 2009 cars

• High severityFrequency: CommonCoolingFragile water pump (and expansion tank or heat exchanger, depending on displacement)Yes: fiches-auto.fr describes a fragile water pump in both the 1.4 VTi (with an expansion tank prone to leaks) and the 1.6 VTi (with the heat exchanger), a cooling problem that the turbocharged 1.6 THP inherits from this naturally aspirated version.
• Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalTimingWear of the timing chain and tensionerYes, although with fewer documented cases than on the turbocharged 1.6 THP: a German garage says the timing chain and its tensioner can wear in any version of the Prince family, including the naturally aspirated one, although the most reported cases in forums are on the turbo engine.
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonLubricationOil consumption on the 1.4 and 1.6 VTi versionsYes: fiches-auto.fr documents frequent oil consumption in both the 1.4 VTi (93 of 245 reports) and the 1.6 VTi (173 of 533 reports). We have not found that PSA or BMW have acknowledged a specific campaign or extended warranty for this reason.

• Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalGearbox and clutchPremature clutch and flywheel wearThe DS3 entry has 35 clutch/flywheel mentions: clutches that slip or fail after few kilometres (one at 2,500 km after being replaced, another at 80,000 km) and pedals that lock.
• Medium severityFrequency: RareClimate controlAir conditioning compressor and pipe failureThe entry records 10 air conditioning mentions on the DS3, with cases of climate control that stopped cooling and required replacing the compressor and all the pipes, and of water dripping inside the cabin.
• Low severityFrequency: OccasionalElectrical systemElectric door window failureIt is one of the most repeated complaints in the DS3 entry: 50 mentions out of 549 testimonies collected by fiches-auto.fr, with windows that jam or an anti-trap function that stops them closing fully.
• Low severityFrequency: OccasionalBodywork and interiorRoof paint and lacquer deteriorationFragile paint is a frequent complaint in the DS3 entry (60 mentions out of 549 testimonies): the black roof "comes away like lace", the lacquer is fragile and stickers on the pillar sometimes peel off.
• Low severityFrequency: OccasionalElectronics and infotainmentMultimedia system and radio failureDS3 owners cite 25 mentions of electronics/multimedia and 20 of radio/CD on fiches-auto.fr, with the system suddenly restarting, the reversing camera freezing or the parking sensor failing.