It costs around £500 to replace a clutch in a Citroen DS3.
The clutch assembly on your Citroen DS3 consists of a clutch plate, release bearing and a pressure plate. These three components connect the gearbox and engine to the wheels and allow you to apply varying amounts of power (also known as slipping the clutch) to move at low speeds and also to disengage the engine and gearbox from the wheels so you can change gear.
From time to time a clutch will fail. A clutch is a consumable part and will require replacement over the life of the car – although how often it needs replacement is dependent on how you drive and the kind of driving you do. For example if you do mainly motorway miles in your Citroen DS3, you are unlikely to need a clutch replacement as soon as someone who does mainly town and city driving.
In this article we’re going to show you exactly how much it will cost you to replace the clutch on your Citroen DS3.
Citroen DS3 Clutch Replacement Cost
To work this out, as we do with every article where we show you how much something costs, we’ve estimated garage labour at around £50 per hour. Some garages will charge more and some will charge less. The Citroen/DS dealer will charge significantly more.
A competent mechanic should be able to change a clutch in no more than six hours – especially on the DS3, which is not a particularly complicated car to do a clutch replacement on. This is also based on my experience as a mechanic for over ten years – I have changed more clutches in more DS3s than I can count.
Example car – 2016 DS 1.2 Puretech Elegance SS
Clutch kit (LuK): £178.99 (Euro Car Parts)
Labour: £300 + VAT (six hours at £50 + VAT per hour)
Gearbox Oil (1.9L): £27.48 (2L Total Transmission Gear 8)
Total cost = £506.47 + VAT
How can you tell if the clutch is going?
A failing clutch can show itself in many different ways, but one of the most common is a higher biting point. As the clutch wears, the pedal travel at which the clutch engages gets higher to the point where you will find that the difference between moving off smoothly and stalling the car is miniscule. Other symptoms are a slipping clutch, meaning that when you put your foot down the revs will rise but the car won’t pick up speed (you might not notice this until second or third gear). Other things to watch out for are grinding or whining noises when engaging the clutch, or crunching when changing gear.
If you’re unsure as to whether your clutch is failing, get an experienced driver to take your car out for a spin and they should be able to tell pretty quickly whether your clutch is on the way out.
What is the lifespan of the clutch on the Citroen DS3?
This is an impossible question to answer because the lifespan of a clutch is almost entirely dependent on the person driving the car. If you’re doing burnouts, dropping or riding the clutch, holding the car at the bite point on a hill, your clutch will fail much sooner than someone who doesn’t do any of these things.
Clutches are consumable parts and they will wear eventually, no matter how careful or mechanically sympathetic you are as a driver. However if you’re getting less than 40,000 miles out of a clutch, I would say you’re driving in a way that’s mechanically unsympathetic to the car and you should look at your driving habits to try to ensure you aren’t prematurely wearing the clutch. It’s not unheard of for these cars to go 80,000 miles plus on their original clutch, but again, it’s almost entirely down to how you drive.
What happens if a clutch goes while driving?
You will lose your ability to change gear. If you’re in neutral when the clutch goes, or you have the pedal pushed down, you will have no drive. If you are in gear you won’t be able to change gear (although you will be fine to stay in the gear that you’re in) and when you push the clutch down and it doesn’t disengage, you will have to stall the engine by bringing the revs too low to stop the car.
Most of the time a clutch will give you plenty of warning if it’s about to fail, so you shouldn’t leave it to chance in terms of how long your failing clutch will last.
Check out some more of our articles on the Citroen DS3 – I’ve written many articles using my comprehensive knowledge of these cars, so if you’re experiencing other problems I’m sure I have something that will be able to help you.
A guide to the best engine oil for your Citroen DS3
Citroen DS3 Timing Belt Change Interval
Citroen DS3 – Engine Fault, Repair Needed
Citroen DS3 Heater Blower not Working
Citroen DS3 1.2 PureTech Engine Problems
Common Faults with the Citroen DS3
Citroen DS3 vs Peugeot 208 – Used Car Buying Guide
Citroen C1 Life Expectancy – How long will it last?
How much is a clutch for a Citroen C1?
About the author
Marcus Brown is editor-in-chief of The FatMech and is a mechanic with ten years' experience based in London, UK. Having worked for major dealerships for many years, Marcus now works for a local independent garage and has experience working on nearly every make and model of car. Marcus also has a passion for writing and teaching, which is where the idea for The FatMech came from. In his spare time, Marcus enjoys playing golf, doing home renovations and gardening. He lives just outside London with his wife and son.