1998 Peugeot Expert — MOT failures & pass rate
The 1998 Peugeot Expert passed 69.7% of its 551 recorded MOT tests. That is effectively the same as vans of a similar age (29.6% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and body, structure & corrosion.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (14.5%) and lighting & signalling (12.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are joints, service brake imbalance and ball joint — joints alone was recorded 39 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 35.6% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 27.1% once past 150k.
Emissions & environmental is the most common advisory, noted on 37.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 30.4% in 2021 to 22.7% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 14.5% | 80 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 12.9% | 71 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 12.7% | 70 |
| 4 | Brakes | 11.4% | 63 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.8% | 32 |
| 6 | Steering | 5.8% | 32 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joints | 39 |
| 2 | Service brake imbalance | 36 |
| 3 | Ball joint | 32 |
| 4 | Service brake performance | 26 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 23 |
| 6 | Steering rack | 22 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emissions & environmental | 37.2% | 205 |
| 2 | Brakes | 37.2% | 205 |
| 3 | Suspension | 31.0% | 171 |
| 4 | Tyres | 31.0% | 171 |
| 5 | Other defects | 22.3% | 123 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 20.9% | 115 |
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 | 45 | 35.6% |
| 60-90k | 42 | 21.4% |
| 90-120k | 62 | 32.3% |
| 120-150k | 104 | 33.7% |
| 150k+ | 207 | 27.1% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 158 | 30.4% |
| 2022 | 130 | 33.1% |
| 2023 | 105 | 30.5% |
| 2024 | 92 | 31.5% |
| 2025 | 66 | 22.7% |
What to check before buying a 1998 Expert
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 14.5% of tests. Start there.
- 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.
- Lighting & signalling (12.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Body, structure & corrosion (12.7% 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+.
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 1998 Peugeot Experts pass their MOT?
69.7% of the 551 1998 Peugeot Expert MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 30.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 1998 Peugeot Expert?
Suspension, recorded in 14.5% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (12.9%).
Does the 1998 Expert get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 35.6% in the 0-30k band to 27.1% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 551 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.