2,286 tests in 2025
Peugeot 406 reliability and MOT pass rate
65% passed first time. The 35% fail rate is 12.4 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 24 years old with 134,866 miles.
Pass rate
65%
22.6% of all cars failed; 35% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
134,866 mi
24 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 1 | — |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 2,285 | 35% |
What the 406 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.
- Suspension15 dangerous44.4%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment8 dangerous40.8%
- Brakes107 dangerous40.4%
- Body, chassis, structure23 dangerous31.5%
- Noise, emissions and leaks4 dangerous16.5%
- Visibility13.6%
- Tyres107 dangerous13.5%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems1 dangerous12.5%
Is the 406 getting worse?
The fail rate fell 1.7 points to 35% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-2.5 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5,064 | 21 | 36.7% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 3,926 | 22 | 35.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 2,786 | 23 | 37.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 2,286 | 24 | 35% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 406 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 406 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength127 tests
- 2Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements97 tests
- 3Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases87 tests
- 4Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect86 tests
- 5Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn79 tests
- 6Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt73 tests
- 7Service brake performance: excessively binding63 tests
- 8Service brake imbalance: across an axle61 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 406 collects 3.93 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.
- 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine493 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened465 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm400 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure254 tests
- 5Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened254 tests
- 6Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened241 tests
- 7Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded211 tests
- 8Registration plates: inscription illegible203 tests
Questions
What is the Peugeot 406 MOT pass rate?
65% of the 2,286 Peugeot 406 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 35% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Peugeot 406 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength", recorded on 127 failed tests, followed by "Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements" and "Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases". By section, suspension appears in 44.4% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 40.8% of failures, brakes appears in 40.4% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 35%. The median Peugeot 406 tested in 2025 was 24 years old with 134,866 miles.
Is the Peugeot 406 getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 1.7 points to 35% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-2.5 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
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 406 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 12 safety recalls naming the Peugeot 406: Peugeot 406 recalls.
Other Peugeot models
Checking a particular 406?
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.