Peugeot 208 MOT pass rate & common failures
1,157,443 MOT tests on the Peugeot 208 (2000–2025) give it an 82.8% pass rate. That is effectively the same as superminis of a similar age (16.5% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, body, structure & corrosion and tyres.
Best and worst 208 years
Ranked across 208 years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 91.2% of 2022 examples pass against 75.6% of 2012 ones.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (8.8%) and body, structure & corrosion (5.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are joints, catalyst emissions and headlamp — joints alone was recorded 43,453 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 28.2% versus 7.9%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 7.4pp more often than electric ones (20.3% vs 12.9%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 26.2% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 14.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 19.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every 208 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 31 | 54.8% | 45.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 93,637 | 75.6% | 24.4% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 2013 | 209,575 | 77.3% | 22.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 178,758 | 79.6% | 20.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 163,842 | 83.2% | 16.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 151,047 | 84.7% | 15.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 101,582 | 86.2% | 13.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 85,684 | 88.7% | 11.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 75,930 | 90.4% | 9.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 44,644 | 88.7% | 11.3% | Visibility |
| 2021 | 32,311 | 89.9% | 10.1% | Visibility |
| 2022 | 19,452 | 91.2% | 8.8% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 870 | 95.9% | 4.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2024 | 32 | 93.8% | 6.3% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 8.8% | 101,414 |
| 2 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.8% | 67,423 |
| 3 | Tyres | 4.6% | 53,408 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 4.3% | 49,659 |
| 5 | Brakes | 3.5% | 40,970 |
| 6 | Suspension | 3.5% | 40,786 |
| 7 | Visibility | 2.6% | 29,829 |
| 8 | Steering | 0.6% | 7,445 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joints | 43,453 |
| 2 | Catalyst emissions | 43,415 |
| 3 | Headlamp | 34,494 |
| 4 | Exhaust system | 34,006 |
| 5 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 33,704 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 28,445 |
| 7 | Tread depth | 27,010 |
| 8 | Washers | 17,909 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 26.2% | 303,036 |
| 2 | Brakes | 18.6% | 215,191 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 11.4% | 132,398 |
| 4 | Suspension | 11.3% | 130,483 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 8.4% | 97,675 |
| 6 | Other defects | 6.0% | 69,066 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 278,100 | 7.9% |
| 30-60k | 466,526 | 16.1% |
| 60-90k | 294,890 | 23.5% |
| 90-120k | 92,745 | 27.0% |
| 120-150k | 19,977 | 27.9% |
| 150k+ | 5,000 | 28.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 898,384 | 16.5% |
| Diesel | 234,100 | 20.3% |
| Electric | 24,952 | 12.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 194,749 | 14.3% |
| 2022 | 216,267 | 15.5% |
| 2023 | 232,250 | 17.0% |
| 2024 | 248,833 | 18.8% |
| 2025 | 265,344 | 19.3% |
What to check before buying a Peugeot 208
- Lighting & signalling (8.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Body, structure & corrosion (5.8% of tests): The one to take seriously on older cars — corrosion to structural areas can be costly and is an MOT failure. Typical repair: £200–£1,500+.
- Tyres (4.6% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Peugeot 208?
82.8% of the 1,157,443 Peugeot 208 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 17.2% fail rate, across model years 2000–2025.
What does the Peugeot 208 most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 8.8% of tests, then body, structure & corrosion (5.8%).
Which 208 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 91.2% and 2012 the weakest at 75.6%, from 19,452 and 93,637 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect 208 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 28.2% for 150k+, a 20.3-point difference.
Is the electric or diesel 208 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the electric fails 12.9% of the time against 20.3% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,157,443 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.