192,088 tests in 2025
Peugeot 208 reliability and MOT pass rate
76.3% passed first time. The 23.7% fail rate is 1.1 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 9 years old with 54,139 miles.
Petrol, diesel and hybrid versions. The electric version has its own page: Peugeot E-208.
Pass rate
76.3%
22.6% of all cars failed; 23.7% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.5%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
54,139 mi
9 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 30,356 | 11.2% |
| 6-9 years | 69,227 | 20.9% |
| 10-13 years | 91,865 | 30.1% |
| 14+ years | 9 | — |
What the 208 fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment120 dangerous30.4%
- Body, chassis, structure219 dangerous27.6%
- Noise, emissions and leaks38 dangerous26.9%
- Suspension811 dangerous25.2%
- Tyres10,481 dangerous23.1%
- Brakes3,700 dangerous19.8%
- Visibility20 dangerous11.3%
- Steering235 dangerous5.4%
Is the 208 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 6 points to 24.1% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 184,250 | 7 | 18.1% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 191,458 | — | 20.3% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 169,229 | — | 23.3% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 187,061 | — | 24.1% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 208 at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a 208 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt7,108 tests
- 2Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits4,841 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm3,930 tests
- 4Headlamp: not working on dipped beam3,849 tests
- 5Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps3,521 tests
- 6Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn3,469 tests
- 7Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction3,388 tests
- 8Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases2,910 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 208 collects 2.43 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm28,311 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened23,152 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure22,303 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn17,375 tests
- 5Exhaust system: system insecure13,071 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick9,579 tests
- 7Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases8,001 tests
- 8Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn7,946 tests
Questions
What is the Peugeot 208 MOT pass rate?
76.3% of the 192,088 Peugeot 208 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 23.7% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.5% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Peugeot 208 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded on 7,108 failed tests, followed by "Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" and "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 30.4% of failures, body, chassis, structure appears in 27.6% of failures, noise, emissions and leaks appears in 26.9% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 11.2%; at 10-13 years it was 30.1%. The median Peugeot 208 tested in 2025 was 9 years old with 54,139 miles.
Is the Peugeot 208 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 6 points to 24.1% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every 208 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 46 safety recalls naming the Peugeot 208: Peugeot 208 recalls.
Other Peugeot models
Checking a particular 208?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.