2008 Chrysler Pt Cruiser — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2008 Chrysler Pt Cruiser passed 71.4% of its 594 recorded MOT tests. Small family cars of a similar age fail 26.2% of the time, so this is 2.4pp worse than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (14.8%) and brakes (14.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, service brake performance and pins and bushes — position lamp alone was recorded 38 times.
A 120-150k example is materially riskier than a 30-60k one: 34.6% versus 24.1%.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 42.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 28.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 29.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 14.8% | 88 |
| 2 | Brakes | 14.5% | 86 |
| 3 | Suspension | 14.5% | 86 |
| 4 | Visibility | 5.6% | 33 |
| 5 | Tyres | 4.7% | 28 |
| 6 | Steering | 4.5% | 27 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Position lamp | 38 |
| 2 | Service brake performance | 37 |
| 3 | Pins and bushes | 36 |
| 4 | Ball joint | 35 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 32 |
| 6 | Anti-lock braking system | 31 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 42.9% | 255 |
| 2 | Brakes | 37.7% | 224 |
| 3 | Tyres | 29.6% | 176 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 18.4% | 109 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 13.5% | 80 |
| 6 | Other defects | 9.3% | 55 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 30-60k | 108 | 24.1% |
| 60-90k | 209 | 26.8% |
| 90-120k | 198 | 33.8% |
| 120-150k | 52 | 34.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 338 | 29.6% |
| Petrol | 256 | 27.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 160 | 28.1% |
| 2022 | 135 | 30.4% |
| 2023 | 121 | 31.4% |
| 2024 | 94 | 22.3% |
| 2025 | 84 | 29.8% |
What to check before buying a 2008 Pt Cruiser
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 14.8% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (14.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (14.5% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Suspension (14.5% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2008 Chrysler Pt Cruisers pass their MOT?
71.4% of the 594 2008 Chrysler Pt Cruiser MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 28.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2008 Chrysler Pt Cruiser?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 14.8% of tests, followed by brakes (14.5%).
Does the 2008 Pt Cruiser get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 24.1% in the 30-60k band to 34.6% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 594 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.