Peugeot Partner MOT pass rate & common failures
929,792 MOT tests on the Peugeot Partner (1985–2024) give it a 78.3% pass rate. That is effectively the same as vans of a similar age (21.7% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Partner years
Ranked across Partner 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
The strongest year on this record is 2020 (86.7% pass rate); the weakest is 2003 (68.5%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 18.1% of all tests — 10.2 points clear of suspension, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, stop lamp and headlamp aim — position lamp alone was recorded 71,629 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 28.5% versus 10.5%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 14.3pp more often than electric ones (22.0% vs 7.7%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 24.3% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 20.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 22.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Partner model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 45 | 68.9% | 31.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 202 | 74.3% | 25.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 437 | 68.2% | 31.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 765 | 66.1% | 33.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 1,124 | 69.8% | 30.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 2,588 | 68.9% | 31.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 5,518 | 69.4% | 30.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 9,714 | 68.5% | 31.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 11,047 | 69.3% | 30.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 13,352 | 69.9% | 30.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 17,279 | 70.9% | 29.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 19,188 | 70.5% | 29.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 21,839 | 70.7% | 29.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 28,429 | 72.1% | 27.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 37,260 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 49,535 | 73.3% | 26.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 76,691 | 77.4% | 22.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 64,722 | 75.3% | 24.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 91,950 | 77.9% | 22.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 83,380 | 80.3% | 19.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 84,221 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 87,211 | 81.1% | 18.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 88,340 | 82.4% | 17.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 63,728 | 83.9% | 16.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 36,490 | 86.7% | 13.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 25,827 | 84.7% | 15.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 8,637 | 85.7% | 14.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2023 | 261 | 89.7% | 10.3% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 18.1% | 168,411 |
| 2 | Suspension | 7.9% | 73,211 |
| 3 | Brakes | 6.1% | 56,763 |
| 4 | Visibility | 5.7% | 53,120 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.5% | 50,775 |
| 6 | Tyres | 4.9% | 45,718 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 2.8% | 25,591 |
| 8 | Steering | 2.0% | 18,496 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Position lamp | 71,629 |
| 2 | Stop lamp | 56,143 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 42,962 |
| 4 | Joints | 41,090 |
| 5 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 40,917 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 35,064 |
| 7 | Coil spring | 32,796 |
| 8 | Washers | 32,268 |
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 | 24.3% | 226,235 |
| 2 | Brakes | 20.0% | 185,955 |
| 3 | Suspension | 13.8% | 128,523 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 12.9% | 120,317 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 8.9% | 82,595 |
| 6 | Visibility | 6.9% | 63,801 |
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 | 62,572 | 10.5% |
| 30-60k | 193,988 | 15.7% |
| 60-90k | 227,920 | 20.4% |
| 90-120k | 196,050 | 24.6% |
| 120-150k | 131,126 | 27.5% |
| 150k+ | 117,394 | 28.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 891,543 | 22.0% |
| Petrol | 33,544 | 15.5% |
| Electric | 4,694 | 7.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 172,583 | 20.6% |
| 2022 | 183,702 | 21.2% |
| 2023 | 191,052 | 22.0% |
| 2024 | 193,117 | 22.2% |
| 2025 | 189,338 | 22.3% |
What to check before buying a Peugeot Partner
- Lighting & signalling (18.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (7.9% 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.
- Brakes (6.1% 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
What is the MOT pass rate for the Peugeot Partner?
78.3% of the 929,792 Peugeot Partner MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 21.7% fail rate, across model years 1985–2024.
What does the Peugeot Partner most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 18.1% of tests, then suspension (7.9%).
Which Partner years are best and worst for MOT results?
2020 has the best pass rate at 86.7% and 2003 the weakest at 68.5%, from 36,490 and 9,714 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Partner MOT results?
Fail rates run at 10.5% for cars in the 0-30k band and 28.5% for 150k+, a 18.0-point difference.
Is the electric or diesel Partner more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the electric fails 7.7% of the time against 22.0% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 929,792 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.