Peugeot 208 MOT failure rate and common faults
218,876 Peugeot 208 cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 29.6% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 24.4% of the time, which makes the Peugeot 208 22% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
29.6%
failed first time
218,876 MOT tests in 2025
+22%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 24.4%
184 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
83.2
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 92.7
What fails on a Peugeot 208 MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Peugeot 208 MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts | 45.0 |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | Lights and electrics | 33.4 |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights and electrics | 33.1 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 26.7 |
| Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits | Engine, emissions and leaks | 24.0 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 23.6 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 19.2 |
| Ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 18.7 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 17.4 |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 16.7 |
Peugeot 208 MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 17,203 | 12.5% | 11.4% | 21,500 |
| 2021 | 14,482 | 17.4% | 12.8% | 29,300 |
| 2020 | 13,261 | 19.0% | 14.1% | 32,600 |
| 2019 | 16,988 | 22.6% | 16.5% | 37,500 |
| 2018 | 15,212 | 26.9% | 19.1% | 45,100 |
| 2017 | 17,420 | 29.4% | 21.8% | 52,700 |
| 2016 | 25,402 | 29.7% | 25.1% | 59,100 |
| 2015 | 26,781 | 31.7% | 28.1% | 64,600 |
| 2014 | 27,803 | 37.6% | 31.4% | 70,200 |
| 2013 | 30,988 | 40.4% | 34.3% | 77,600 |
| 2012 | 13,328 | 41.8% | 36.6% | 82,500 |
Advisories to look for in a Peugeot 208's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Peugeot 208, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge235.8
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing171.6
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened157.7
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement125.7
- Exhaust system: mounting defective66.9
- Brake pads: wearing thin54.5
Checking a used Peugeot 208 before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Peugeot 208 fails more often than average on lights and electrics, engine, emissions and leaks and body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts. Start there.
Lights and electrics
Walk round the car with every light on: headlights on dip and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and the number plate lamp. A pattern of electrical faults costs more than a bulb.
Engine, emissions and leaks
Start the car from cold and watch the exhaust for smoke, look underneath for oil or fuel leaks, and make sure the engine warning light comes on with the ignition and goes out once the engine runs.
Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts
Turn the steering to full lock and look behind each front wheel: the rubber boots on the drive shafts should be whole, with no grease sprayed around. Then get down with a torch and check the exhaust hangers, sills, floor and subframes for rust.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Peugeot 208 cars tested: Petrol 78%, Diesel 17%, Electric 5%. Average age at test 8.5 years, average recorded mileage 55,500.
Peugeot 208 MOT questions
What is the Peugeot 208 MOT failure rate?
29.6% of Peugeot 208 cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 218,876 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 24.4% of the time, so the Peugeot 208 was 22% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Peugeot 208 MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 159 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded 45.0 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Peugeot 208 year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2022 registrations did best: 12.5% failed against an average of 11.4% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Peugeot 208 will pass?
No. These are averages across every Peugeot 208 tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Peugeot models
- Peugeot Partner37.3% failed
- Peugeot 200826.0% failed
- Peugeot 300828.8% failed
- Peugeot 30835.7% failed
- Peugeot 20749.8% failed
- Peugeot 10738.8% failed
Ranked close to the Peugeot 208
- Nissan Qashqairank 181
- SEAT Ibizarank 182
- Vauxhall Corsarank 185
- Fiat 500Xrank 186
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Peugeot 208 cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.