Peugeot Rcz MOT pass rate & common failures
69,644 MOT tests on the Peugeot Rcz (2001–2021) give it a 78.0% pass rate. That is 6.2 percentage points worse than coupes & convertibles of a similar age, which fail at 15.8%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and tyres.
Best and worst Rcz years
Ranked across Rcz 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 2016 (85.4% pass rate); the weakest is 2010 (74.5%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (11.2%) and suspension (9.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, headlamp aim and headlamp — coil spring alone was recorded 5,120 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 27.9% versus 11.2%.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 21.7% of the time against 22.6% for diesel.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 28.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 20.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 23.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Rcz model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 10,077 | 74.5% | 25.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 16,153 | 75.5% | 24.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 12,588 | 77.4% | 22.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 13,207 | 78.3% | 21.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 9,729 | 81.0% | 19.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 6,411 | 84.3% | 15.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 1,450 | 85.4% | 14.6% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 11.2% | 7,768 |
| 2 | Suspension | 9.0% | 6,295 |
| 3 | Tyres | 5.5% | 3,796 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 4.7% | 3,258 |
| 5 | Brakes | 4.1% | 2,878 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.0% | 2,821 |
| 7 | Visibility | 3.3% | 2,307 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.1% | 729 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 5,120 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 3,689 |
| 3 | Headlamp | 3,024 |
| 4 | Joints | 2,785 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 2,446 |
| 6 | Stop lamp | 2,282 |
| 7 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 1,542 |
| 8 | Wipers | 1,487 |
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 | 28.1% | 19,595 |
| 2 | Brakes | 22.9% | 15,969 |
| 3 | Suspension | 12.5% | 8,724 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 10.7% | 7,437 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 8.4% | 5,830 |
| 6 | Other defects | 5.8% | 4,064 |
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 | 4,931 | 11.2% |
| 30-60k | 24,728 | 18.7% |
| 60-90k | 26,025 | 24.1% |
| 90-120k | 10,515 | 27.3% |
| 120-150k | 2,626 | 28.6% |
| 150k+ | 810 | 27.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 44,937 | 21.7% |
| Diesel | 24,707 | 22.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14,490 | 20.3% |
| 2022 | 14,350 | 21.0% |
| 2023 | 14,253 | 22.5% |
| 2024 | 13,528 | 22.5% |
| 2025 | 13,023 | 23.8% |
What to check before buying a Peugeot Rcz
- Lighting & signalling (11.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (9.0% 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.
- Tyres (5.5% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
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 Rcz?
78.0% of the 69,644 Peugeot Rcz MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 22.0% fail rate, across model years 2001–2021.
What does the Peugeot Rcz most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.2% of tests, then suspension (9.0%).
Which Rcz years are best and worst for MOT results?
2016 has the best pass rate at 85.4% and 2010 the weakest at 74.5%, from 1,450 and 10,077 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Rcz MOT results?
Fail rates run at 11.2% for cars in the 0-30k band and 27.9% for 150k+, a 16.7-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Rcz more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 21.7% of the time against 22.6% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 69,644 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.