Peugeot 405 MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 27 model years and 2,251 tests, the Peugeot 405 passes its MOT 72.4% of the time. That is 3.8 percentage points worse than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 23.8%. Its most common failure areas are brakes, lighting & signalling and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (14.0%) and lighting & signalling (11.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are component mounting prescribed areas, steering rack and service brake performance — component mounting prescribed areas alone was recorded 240 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 24.2% of 30-60k cars fail, rising to 28.8% once past 150k.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 27.1% of the time against 28.4% for petrol.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 30.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 29.1% in 2021 to 25.9% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every 405 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 75 | 70.7% | 29.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 59 | 83.0% | 17.0% | Brakes |
| 1991 | 110 | 68.2% | 31.8% | Brakes |
| 1992 | 212 | 70.8% | 29.3% | Brakes |
| 1993 | 306 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Brakes |
| 1994 | 490 | 75.3% | 24.7% | Brakes |
| 1995 | 605 | 72.2% | 27.8% | Brakes |
| 1996 | 268 | 68.7% | 31.3% | Brakes |
| 1997 | 96 | 70.8% | 29.2% | Brakes |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 14.0% | 315 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 11.6% | 261 |
| 3 | Suspension | 10.6% | 238 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 9.3% | 210 |
| 5 | Steering | 9.1% | 204 |
| 6 | Visibility | 6.4% | 144 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 4.3% | 98 |
| 8 | Tyres | 3.5% | 79 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 240 |
| 2 | Steering rack | 201 |
| 3 | Service brake performance | 201 |
| 4 | Service brake imbalance | 114 |
| 5 | Rbt (sp) | 109 |
| 6 | Wipers | 95 |
| 7 | Washers | 87 |
| 8 | Headlamp aim | 83 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 30.4% | 684 |
| 2 | Suspension | 28.2% | 634 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 24.1% | 543 |
| 4 | Tyres | 19.9% | 448 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 16.5% | 371 |
| 6 | Other defects | 12.8% | 288 |
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 | 186 | 24.2% |
| 60-90k | 352 | 26.7% |
| 90-120k | 377 | 29.4% |
| 120-150k | 467 | 25.9% |
| 150k+ | 850 | 28.8% |
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 1,453 | 27.1% |
| Petrol | 798 | 28.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 633 | 29.1% |
| 2022 | 536 | 27.6% |
| 2023 | 436 | 27.5% |
| 2024 | 337 | 26.4% |
| 2025 | 309 | 25.9% |
What to check before buying a Peugeot 405
- Brakes (14.0% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (11.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (10.6% 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
What is the MOT pass rate for the Peugeot 405?
72.4% of the 2,251 Peugeot 405 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 27.6% fail rate, across model years 1988–2014.
What does the Peugeot 405 most often fail its MOT on?
Brakes, recorded in 14.0% of tests, then lighting & signalling (11.6%).
How much does mileage affect 405 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 24.2% for cars in the 30-60k band and 28.8% for 150k+, a 4.6-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol 405 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 27.1% of the time against 28.4% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 2,251 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.