Really jerky CITROËN DS3

Hey, had something similar a while back on a Fiesta. After clutch and mounts, turned out to be driveshaft CV joints worn out, slight play caused major vibrations just when setting off, barely noticeable at other speeds. Worth checking those joints closely—sometimes the issue is hard to spot until you pull the shaft out and rotate by hand.

Solid advice from @r.lewis. I’d also add — check your lower gearbox stabilizer bar (dogbone mount) if you haven’t already. Sometimes even with fresh mounts, that little guy can fail and make low-speed take-offs jerky. Garage missed mine once, swapped it (used one from a friend’s DS3), and it sorted it right out for me.

I can relate, mate. My old Clio had almost identical symptoms. Ended up solving it by cleaning out a heavily gunked-up throttle body and fixing a dodgy idle control valve. Engine was struggling to modulate power at low revs. Maybe worth running diagnostics on sensors and air intake just in case.

Just to add—if your clutch isn’t OEM, some aftermarket ones can be grabby or poorly matched to the flywheel, even brand new. A friend swapped back to a used original clutch, suddenly no more judder. Doesn’t sound logical, but aftermarket tech isn’t always perfect for PSA cars.

+1 to above. I’d throw in: check for binding or warped front brake discs. Had similar vibes once, thought gearbox, ended up being a caliper sticking slightly. Pads only grabbed at low speed, felt exactly like clutch shudder.

What about engine misfire at take-off? Had a mate who chased mounts and clutch only to find a duff spark plug causing low-rpm stutter. New plugs and leads sorted it, worth a look if you’re running out of ideas.

Might be left field, but check your driveshaft carrier bearing if it’s a two-piece shaft—mine was shot and only acted up just when moving off. Swapped with one “from a guy local,” vibration was gone.

Have you run the car with wheels in the air to check for play in suspension or subframe movement? Saw a DS3 with a bad subframe bush once, low speed it shuddered like mad but above 10 mph was smooth.

Also check the tie rods and steering rack bushings. Knackered rack bush on my friend’s C3 made weird low-speed judders that felt like a clutch problem but was just play in the steering assembly showing up at crawl speeds.

All these are decent suggestions. My DS3 had a hairline crack in the alloy wheel (front left), could only feel it when gently pulling away or reversing, garage missed it at first. Swapped the wheel, never came back.

Man, it’s frustrating chasing stuff like that. I found a badly balanced driveshaft after weeks of trying everything else (tracked it down after swapping wheels front to back, vibe changed pitch). Good luck, hope you get it sorted!

Could try borrowing a buddy’s wheels/tyres if nothing else pans out. Tyres with flat spots or weird internal defects can sometimes mimic mechanical shudders just at low speed, happened to me on an old Focus.

To echo everyone, don’t rule out weird stuff! My old DS3 vibrated till I swapped a half-seized alternator pulley—could only feel it at take-off. Mechanic found it by spraying the belt and noticed the tone changed. Sometimes it’s the unexpected stuff!