Peugeot Rifter MOT pass rate & common failures
The Peugeot Rifter appears in 32,335 MOT tests spanning model years 2010–2025, and 89.0% of them passed. Against all cars of a similar age (9.7% fail rate), the Rifter comes out 1.4pp worse. Its most common failure areas are visibility, lighting & signalling and tyres.
Best and worst Rifter years
Ranked across Rifter 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
Not every year is equal — 92.2% of 2022 examples pass against 88.5% of 2020 ones.
No single area dominates — visibility (7.8%) and lighting & signalling (5.0%) 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 headlamp — wipers alone was recorded 2,633 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 8.9% in the 0-30k band and 25.7% in the 150k+ band, a 16.7-point spread — more than double.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 10.6% of the time against 11.1% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 19.5% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 8.8% of tests failed in 2021 against 11.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Rifter model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2,618 | 88.6% | 11.4% | Visibility |
| 2019 | 15,048 | 88.9% | 11.1% | Visibility |
| 2020 | 8,715 | 88.5% | 11.5% | Visibility |
| 2021 | 3,985 | 88.9% | 11.1% | Visibility |
| 2022 | 1,784 | 92.2% | 7.8% | Visibility |
| 2023 | 161 | 93.2% | 6.8% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visibility | 7.8% | 2,520 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 5.0% | 1,616 |
| 3 | Tyres | 2.9% | 945 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.2% | 717 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.0% | 336 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.9% | 281 |
| 7 | Suspension | 0.6% | 186 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.3% | 85 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 2,633 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 792 |
| 3 | Headlamp | 627 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 510 |
| 5 | Washers | 490 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 477 |
| 7 | Joints | 214 |
| 8 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 206 |
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 | 19.5% | 6,304 |
| 2 | Brakes | 14.8% | 4,803 |
| 3 | Other defects | 5.6% | 1,825 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.0% | 1,285 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 3.6% | 1,162 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.1% | 685 |
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 | 20,970 | 8.9% |
| 30-60k | 9,083 | 14.2% |
| 60-90k | 1,723 | 16.7% |
| 90-120k | 368 | 19.6% |
| 120-150k | 117 | 23.9% |
| 150k+ | 74 | 25.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 28,267 | 11.1% |
| Petrol | 3,902 | 10.6% |
| Electric | 166 | 16.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 814 | 8.8% |
| 2022 | 4,399 | 9.4% |
| 2023 | 7,218 | 10.7% |
| 2024 | 9,028 | 11.3% |
| 2025 | 10,876 | 11.9% |
What to check before buying a Peugeot Rifter
- Visibility (7.8% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (5.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (2.9% 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 Rifter?
89.0% of the 32,335 Peugeot Rifter MOT tests in this dataset passed, an 11.0% fail rate, across model years 2010–2025.
What does the Peugeot Rifter most often fail its MOT on?
Visibility, recorded in 7.8% of tests, then lighting & signalling (5.0%).
Which Rifter years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 92.2% and 2020 the weakest at 88.5%, from 1,784 and 8,715 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Rifter MOT results?
Fail rates run at 8.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 25.7% for 150k+, a 16.7-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Rifter more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 10.6% of the time against 11.1% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 32,335 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.