2019 Peugeot 308 — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2019 Peugeot 308 passed 89.4% of its 32,354 recorded MOT tests. That is 1.0 percentage points worse than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 9.6%. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (6.0%) and lighting & signalling (5.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, headlamp and headlamp aim — tread depth alone was recorded 1,349 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 17.1% versus 7.2%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 10.0% fail against 11.8% for diesel, a 1.9-point gap across 32,353 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 7.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 12.7% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 6.0% | 1,955 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 5.0% | 1,631 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.3% | 729 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.7% | 538 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 0.8% | 262 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.7% | 237 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 1,349 |
| 2 | Headlamp | 772 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 694 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 558 |
| 5 | Washers | 400 |
| 6 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 290 |
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 | 24.6% | 7,949 |
| 2 | Brakes | 15.3% | 4,961 |
| 3 | Other defects | 6.6% | 2,142 |
| 4 | Suspension | 2.7% | 882 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 2.5% | 816 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.4% | 762 |
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 | 13,001 | 7.2% |
| 30-60k | 13,989 | 11.4% |
| 60-90k | 3,843 | 16.6% |
| 90-120k | 1,087 | 18.6% |
| 120-150k | 307 | 17.3% |
| 150k+ | 123 | 17.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 20,726 | 10.0% |
| Diesel | 11,627 | 11.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 411 | 7.3% |
| 2022 | 7,957 | 8.9% |
| 2023 | 7,916 | 9.8% |
| 2024 | 7,999 | 11.3% |
| 2025 | 8,071 | 12.7% |
What to check before buying a 2019 308
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 6.0% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (6.0% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (5.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (2.3% 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.
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 2019 Peugeot 308s pass their MOT?
89.4% of the 32,354 2019 Peugeot 308 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 10.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2019 Peugeot 308?
Tyres, recorded in 6.0% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (5.0%).
Does the 2019 308 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.2% in the 0-30k band to 17.1% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 32,354 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.