1,715 tests in 2025
Peugeot Independence reliability and MOT pass rate
70.4% passed first time. The 29.6% fail rate is 7.0 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 10 years old with 70,990 miles.
Pass rate
70.4%
22.6% of all cars failed; 29.6% of these did.
Fixed on the day
8.2%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
70,990 mi
10 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 482 | 28.6% |
| 10-13 years | 1,233 | 30% |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the Independence 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.
- Body, chassis, structure9 dangerous42.3%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment2 dangerous33.7%
- Suspension4 dangerous31.3%
- Brakes63 dangerous22.6%
- Tyres79 dangerous18.5%
- Visibility16.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous14.2%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems3.7%
Is the Independence getting worse?
The fail rate rose 5.4 points to 29.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (7.7 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,005 | 7 | 24.2% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 1,949 | 8 | 27.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,646 | 9 | 29.5% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,715 | 10 | 29.6% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Independence 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 Independence in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt137 tests
- 2Position lamp: not working76 tests
- 3Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn69 tests
- 4Coil spring: fractured or broken48 tests
- 5Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively42 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick36 tests
- 7Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm36 tests
- 8Exhaust system: system insecure33 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Independence collects 2.33 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 1.6mm267 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened196 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick156 tests
- 4Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine118 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure78 tests
- 6Exhaust system: system insecure77 tests
- 7Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases76 tests
- 8Individual direction indicators: incorrect colour49 tests
Questions
What is the Peugeot Independence MOT pass rate?
70.4% of the 1,715 Peugeot Independence first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 29.6% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 8.2% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Peugeot Independence 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 137 failed tests, followed by "Position lamp: not working" and "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn". By section, body, chassis, structure appears in 42.3% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 33.7% of failures, suspension appears in 31.3% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 10-13 years it was 30%. The median Peugeot Independence tested in 2025 was 10 years old with 70,990 miles.
Is the Peugeot Independence getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 5.4 points to 29.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (7.7 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 Independence trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Peugeot models
Checking a particular Independence?
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.