Peugeot 308 MOT failure rate and common faults
125,924 Peugeot 308 cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 35.7% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 29.7% of the time, which makes the Peugeot 308 20% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
35.7%
failed first time
125,924 MOT tests in 2025
+20%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 29.7%
183 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
137.8
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 109.0
What fails on a Peugeot 308 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 308 MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 52.1 |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts | 51.2 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 43.0 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 32.7 |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play | Steering | 30.1 |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | Lights and electrics | 27.8 |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights and electrics | 27.7 |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 27.6 |
| Ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 26.5 |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights and electrics | 23.7 |
Peugeot 308 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 | 3,844 | 11.9% | 11.4% | 29,600 |
| 2021 | 1,636 | 16.6% | 12.8% | 45,600 |
| 2020 | 3,814 | 15.5% | 14.1% | 43,600 |
| 2019 | 7,147 | 19.0% | 16.5% | 51,700 |
| 2018 | 8,422 | 23.3% | 19.1% | 61,600 |
| 2017 | 9,053 | 28.0% | 21.8% | 70,800 |
| 2016 | 14,284 | 31.0% | 25.1% | 78,800 |
| 2015 | 13,601 | 32.6% | 28.1% | 86,900 |
| 2014 | 11,606 | 38.1% | 31.4% | 90,700 |
| 2013 | 9,739 | 45.0% | 34.3% | 95,300 |
| 2012 | 9,156 | 44.5% | 36.6% | 99,200 |
| 2011 | 8,360 | 42.9% | 38.8% | 99,200 |
| 2010 | 10,169 | 47.5% | 40.7% | 101,500 |
| 2009 | 8,743 | 50.0% | 41.8% | 104,600 |
| 2008 | 5,766 | 50.4% | 42.9% | 105,300 |
| 2007 | 583 | 54.0% | 42.7% | 104,600 |
Advisories to look for in a Peugeot 308'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 308, 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 edge345.4
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened199.8
- Brake pads: wearing thin116.4
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement114.4
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing104.1
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive77.9
Checking a used Peugeot 308 before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Peugeot 308 fails more often than average on lights and electrics, suspension and brakes. 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.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Brakes
Look through the wheel spokes at the discs for a deep lip or scoring, check the handbrake holds the car on a slope, and feel for a pull to one side when braking hard.
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 308 cars tested: Diesel 65%, Petrol 34%. Average age at test 10.8 years, average recorded mileage 83,600.
Peugeot 308 MOT questions
What is the Peugeot 308 MOT failure rate?
35.7% of Peugeot 308 cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 125,924 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 29.7% of the time, so the Peugeot 308 was 20% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Peugeot 308 MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 212 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded 52.1 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Peugeot 308 year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2022 registrations did best: 11.9% 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 308 will pass?
No. These are averages across every Peugeot 308 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 20829.6% failed
- Peugeot Partner37.3% failed
- Peugeot 200826.0% failed
- Peugeot 300828.8% failed
- Peugeot 20749.8% failed
- Peugeot 10738.8% failed
Ranked close to the Peugeot 308
- Citroen C3rank 180
- Nissan Qashqairank 181
- SEAT Ibizarank 182
- Vauxhall Corsarank 185
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 308 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.