2021 Peugeot Expert — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 10,688 MOT tests, the 2021 Peugeot Expert recorded a 91.2% pass rate. That is 4.9 percentage points better than vans of a similar age, which fail at 13.8%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, visibility and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (6.8%) and visibility (4.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, headlamp aim and brake pads — wipers alone was recorded 423 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 18.6% versus 4.7%.
The electric cars hold up better: 4.3% fail against 9.5% for diesel, a 5.2-point gap across 10,688 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 12.5% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 2.1% of tests failed in 2023 against 9.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 6.8% | 726 |
| 2 | Visibility | 4.2% | 451 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.6% | 281 |
| 4 | Tyres | 2.0% | 215 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 1.1% | 116 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.7% | 69 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 423 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 301 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 269 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 248 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 189 |
| 6 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 129 |
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 | 12.5% | 1,334 |
| 2 | Tyres | 12.1% | 1,295 |
| 3 | Visibility | 4.4% | 469 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 4.1% | 443 |
| 5 | Other defects | 3.9% | 421 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 3.0% | 319 |
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 | 3,583 | 4.7% |
| 30-60k | 4,460 | 9.2% |
| 60-90k | 1,876 | 13.1% |
| 90-120k | 582 | 14.3% |
| 120-150k | 144 | 17.4% |
| 150k+ | 43 | 18.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 9,275 | 9.5% |
| Electric | 1,413 | 4.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 486 | 2.1% |
| 2024 | 5,042 | 8.5% |
| 2025 | 5,129 | 9.8% |
What to check before buying a 2021 Expert
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 6.8% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (6.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (4.2% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
- Brakes (2.6% 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 2021 Peugeot Experts pass their MOT?
91.2% of the 10,688 2021 Peugeot Expert MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 8.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2021 Peugeot Expert?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 6.8% of tests, followed by visibility (4.2%).
Does the 2021 Expert get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 4.7% in the 0-30k band to 18.6% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 10,688 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.