2020 Peugeot Partner — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2020 Peugeot Partner passed 86.7% of its 36,490 recorded MOT tests. That is 1.1 percentage points better than vans of a similar age, which fail at 14.4%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, visibility and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 9.6% of all tests — 3.2 points clear of visibility, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, headlamp aim and brake pads — wipers alone was recorded 1,983 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 17.7% versus 8.6%.
Split by fuel, petrol examples fail 1.6pp more often than diesel ones (14.9% vs 13.3%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 17.5% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 9.2% of tests failed in 2022 against 12.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 9.6% | 3,506 |
| 2 | Visibility | 6.4% | 2,331 |
| 3 | Brakes | 4.0% | 1,465 |
| 4 | Tyres | 3.6% | 1,299 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.2% | 428 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.1% | 413 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 1,983 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 1,893 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 1,176 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 1,158 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 838 |
| 6 | Washers | 833 |
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 | 17.5% | 6,402 |
| 2 | Brakes | 15.4% | 5,628 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 6.1% | 2,236 |
| 4 | Visibility | 5.2% | 1,912 |
| 5 | Other defects | 3.7% | 1,342 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.6% | 1,298 |
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 | 7,490 | 8.6% |
| 30-60k | 14,902 | 13.6% |
| 60-90k | 9,852 | 15.1% |
| 90-120k | 3,431 | 15.9% |
| 120-150k | 621 | 17.1% |
| 150k+ | 192 | 17.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 35,317 | 13.3% |
| Petrol | 1,137 | 14.9% |
| Electric | 36 | 5.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 487 | 9.2% |
| 2023 | 12,412 | 13.7% |
| 2024 | 12,130 | 13.5% |
| 2025 | 11,432 | 12.8% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Partner
On a 2020 Partner, lighting & signalling is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 9.6% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Lighting & signalling (9.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (6.4% 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 (4.0% 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.
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 2020 Peugeot Partners pass their MOT?
86.7% of the 36,490 2020 Peugeot Partner MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 13.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Peugeot Partner?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 9.6% of tests, followed by visibility (6.4%).
Does the 2020 Partner get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.6% in the 0-30k band to 17.7% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 36,490 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.