MOT performance
Peugeot 208 diesel: MOT pass rate and common failures
Of 75,673 MOT tests on diesel Peugeot 208s in 2023–2024 (on average 8.5 years old at test, median 74,221 miles), 65.2% passed first time, against 73.4% of 316,424 petrol Peugeot 208 tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, diesel Peugeot 208s failed 25% more often than comparable cars — 1.25× against 1.21× for the Peugeot 208 as a whole.
75,673 MOT tests on 38,297 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto
Check a specific car's MOT history and running costsAt a glance
| Figure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| First-time pass rate | 65.2% | ±0.3 pts (95%), n = 75,673 |
| All Peugeot 208s | 72.2% | n = 402,103 |
| Failures vs similar cars | 1.25× | same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; Peugeot 208 overall 1.21× |
| Tests with a dangerous defect | 8.2% | n = 75,673 |
| Average age at test | 8.5 years | n = 75,673 |
| Registration years covered | 2008–2022 | DVSA first-use date |
Diesel against the other Peugeot 208 fuels
Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The diesel cars were tested 1.5 years older on average than the petrol ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.
| Fuel | Tests | Average age | First-time pass | vs similar cars | Dangerous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 316,424 | 7 yrs | 73.4% | +19% | 5.6% |
| Diesel | 75,673 | 8.5 yrs | 65.2% | +25% | 8.2% |
| Electric | 10,006 | 2.5 yrs | 84.5% | +33% | 4.3% |
Where diesel Peugeot 208s differ
- Steering: diesel Peugeot 208s failed 68% more often than the Peugeot 208 overall, relative to comparable cars (1.13× vs 0.67×).
- Noise, emissions and leaks: diesel Peugeot 208s failed 48% less often than the Peugeot 208 overall, relative to comparable cars (1.50× vs 2.90×).
- Suspension: diesel Peugeot 208s failed 34% more often than the Peugeot 208 overall, relative to comparable cars (1.02× vs 0.77×).
- Brakes: diesel Peugeot 208s failed 21% more often than the Peugeot 208 overall, relative to comparable cars (1.18× vs 0.97×).
| Area | Diesel (vs similar) | All Peugeot 208s (vs similar) |
|---|---|---|
| Lights, reflectors and electrical | 15.1% (+59%) | 11.0% (+47%) |
| Body, chassis and structure | 10.0% (+271%) | 7.2% (+319%) |
| Suspension | 8.5% (+2%) | 4.5% (-23%) |
| Brakes | 7.3% (+18%) | 4.5% (-3%) |
| Tyres | 6.5% (-6%) | 5.6% (-5%) |
| Driver's view of the road | 3.9% (-2%) | 3.4% (-14%) |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.5% (+50%) | 5.5% (+190%) |
| Steering | 2.0% (+13%) | 0.9% (-33%) |
| Seat belts and airbags | 0.8% (+4%) | 0.5% (+6%) |
| Road wheels | 0.4% (-3%) | 0.3% (+2%) |
| Registration plates and VIN | 0.2% (-42%) | 0.1% (-45%) |
Most common diesel Peugeot 208 failure items
| Item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis and structure | 6.77% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 4.10% |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 4.04% |
| Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 3.22% |
| Exhaust system: system insecure | Body, chassis and structure | 2.70% |
Pass rate by age, by fuel
| Age at test (years) | diesel pass rate (tests) | petrol pass rate (tests) | electric pass rate (tests) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 80.5% (3,076) | 84.5% (52,362) | 80.2% (4,459) |
| 5-6 | 73.5% (8,247) | 77.4% (59,443) | — |
| 7-8 | 66.8% (20,361) | 73.7% (82,874) | — |
| 9-10 | 62.3% (32,527) | 64.1% (83,568) | — |
| 11-12 | 59.2% (10,941) | 59.2% (22,179) | — |
Peugeot 208 by registration year
Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.
- 2012 Peugeot 208 · 60.1%
- 2013 Peugeot 208 · 61.9%
- 2014 Peugeot 208 · 65.7%
- 2015 Peugeot 208 · 71.7%
- 2016 Peugeot 208 · 74.3%
- 2017 Peugeot 208 · 75.3%
- 2018 Peugeot 208 · 79.0%
- 2019 Peugeot 208 · 84.3%
- 2020 Peugeot 208 · 84.9%
- 2021 Peugeot 208 · 87.8%
What this does and doesn't tell you
Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.
Check a specific diesel Peugeot 208
Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.
UK number plate or 17-character VIN
About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.