Common problems

Peugeot 208 common problems

What MOT testers find on the Peugeot 208: the parts that fail or get advisories most often at each age, against all cars of the same age. From 809,087 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 9 years, the most tested age

Lights and electrics fails per 100 MOTs (n=117,276)12.7

All cars at 9 years (n=9,949,012)9.2

Tyres advisories and minor defects per 100 MOTs (n=117,276)27.0

All cars, same age (n=9,949,012)25.8

What stands out

Body and structure fails show up on 8.5 of every 100 MOTs of a Peugeot 208 at 9 years old (n=117,276), against 2.3 for all cars of that age (n=9,949,012).
Suspension fails are less common: 5.8 per 100 MOTs against 7.9 for all cars at the same age.
The fail item testers record most often at 9 years: driveshaft CV boot split, on 4.3 per 100 MOTs (all cars 1.1).
The most common advisory or minor defect: tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge, on 15.6 per 100 MOTs.

Problems by part at 9 years

How many of every 100 MOTs found a fail, or an advisory or minor defect, in each area. A test with faults in two areas counts in both.

Peugeot 208 at 9 years (n=117,276) against all cars at 9 years (n=9,949,012). Per 100 MOTs.
Area	Fails	All cars	Advisories	All cars
Lights and electrics	12.7	9.2	10.0	4.5
Body and structure	8.5	2.3	14.9	2.9
Exhaust, emissions and leaks	7.1	2.4	4.9	3.1
Suspension	5.8	7.9	14.1	14.9
Tyres	5.6	6.7	27.0	25.8
Brakes	5.3	5.6	19.7	20.3
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors	3.0	4.0	2.1	3.7
Steering	0.8	1.8	0.8	2.1
Seat belts and airbags	0.6	0.6	0.3	0.4
Road wheels	0.3	0.4	0.3	0.7
Number plates and VIN	0.1	0.3	1.0	1.7

What testers fail most on the 208 at 9 years

Fail items on the Peugeot 208 at 9 years (n=117,276), per 100 MOTs, with all cars at the same age (n=9,949,012).
Item	Area	Per 100 MOTs	All cars	Typical repair (estimate)
Driveshaft CV boot split	Body and structure	4.3	1.1	£88 to £196 per boot (rough guide)
Dipped headlight not working	Lights and electrics	3.7	1.5	£18 to £86 per lamp
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps	Lights and electrics	2.9	1.0	£10 to £47 per lamp
Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits	Exhaust, emissions and leaks	2.6	0.3
Exhaust system: system insecure	Body and structure	2.6	0.2	£28 to £108 per car (rough guide)
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm	Tyres	2.5	2.5	£88 to £145 per tyre
Brake light not working	Lights and electrics	2.1	1.7	£10 to £47 per lamp
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction	Exhaust, emissions and leaks	1.9	0.8	diagnosis from £39 (rough guide)
Suspension ball joint worn	Suspension	1.8	1.5	£75 to £237 per side (rough guide)
Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases	Body and structure	1.7	0.4	£182 to £263 per section

Early warnings: advisories and minor defects at 9 years

Advisories and minor defects are recorded, but the car still passes. Across all cars, a part with an advisory or minor defect failed at the next MOT 5.5 times in 100 (n=88,666,940 pairs of consecutive MOTs), against 0.3 times in 100 when the same part had none (n=12,936,860,350).

Advisories and minor defects on the Peugeot 208 at 9 years (n=117,276), per 100 MOTs, with all cars at the same age (n=9,949,012).
Item	Area	Per 100 MOTs	All cars	If it needs replacing (estimate)
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge	Tyres	15.6	16.4	£88 to £145 per tyre
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing	Tyres	12.0	8.5	£88 to £145 per tyre
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	Brakes	12.0	9.2	£148 to £376 per axle (rough guide)
Exhaust system: mounting defective	Body and structure	9.8	0.6	£28 to £108 per car (rough guide)
Suspension arm pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement	Suspension	8.7	4.9	£92 to £237 per arm (rough guide)
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources	Lights and electrics	6.8	2.5
Brake pads: wearing thin	Brakes	4.8	8.3	£72 to £174 per axle (rough guide)
Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases	Body and structure	4.3	1.2	£182 to £263 per section
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively	Brakes	3.8	2.7	£148 to £376 per axle (rough guide)
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	Exhaust, emissions and leaks	3.5	2.5

Repair estimates are a guide for an independent garage: labour at the national median local garage rate (median £78 an hour from 65 garages, ONS price quotes) times estimated labour hours, plus a parts band. Labour hours and most parts bands are estimates, not quotes, and prices vary by model, engine and region. A warning light fault shows the cost of the diagnosis only.

How problems change with age

Fails per 100 MOTs in the three most common areas at 9 years. Ages with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Age	Tests (n)	Lights and electrics	Body and structure	Exhaust, emissions and leaks
3 years	62,592	2.4	0.2	0.2
4 years	60,424	3.8	0.9	0.4
5 years	63,899	7.0	2.8	0.8
6 years	76,499	9.7	4.8	1.5
7 years	87,196	10.6	6.1	2.7
8 years	101,268	11.6	7.0	4.7
9 years	117,276	12.7	8.5	7.1
10 years	105,081	13.8	10.3	9.3
11 years	75,881	15.0	11.9	11.5
12 years	45,532	15.9	13.1	12.7
13 years	13,439	15.8	14.9	12.2

Mileage

At 9 years, Peugeot 208 cars showing under 30,000 miles failed 13.6% of MOTs (n=10,783); the band that failed most, 120,000 to 150,000 miles, failed 45.0% (n=2,081). For pass and fail rates by age, see Peugeot 208 MOT fail rates.

What to check on a viewing

On the Peugeot 208, testers most often record driveshaft CV boot split; dipped headlight not working; registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps. Look at these first, then the areas below.

Lights and electrics

With someone outside, try every light: dipped and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and number plate lamps.
Check that the warning lights come on with the ignition and go out once the engine runs.
Look for misted, cracked or yellowed headlamp lenses.

Body and structure

Look underneath at the sills, floor, subframes and jacking points for corrosion, or for fresh underseal that may hide it.
Check that doors, bonnet and boot open, close and latch properly.
Look for loose trim, sharp edges or damage around the bumpers and wheel arches.

Exhaust, emissions and leaks

Start the engine from cold if you can and watch the exhaust for blue or black smoke.
Check that the engine warning light goes out after starting and stays out on the test drive.
Look under the car and around the engine for oil or fluid leaks, and listen for a blowing exhaust.

Ask for the car's MOT history and service record: advisories that repeat from one year to the next show what has been left. GOV.UK MOT history.

Questions

What are the most common problems on the Peugeot 208?

At 9 years, the age with the most MOT tests (117,276), the fail items testers record most often on the Peugeot 208 are driveshaft CV boot split (4.3 per 100 MOTs), dipped headlight not working (3.7 per 100 MOTs), registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (2.9 per 100 MOTs). The most common advisories or minor defects are tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (15.6) and tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (12.0).

Which parts of the Peugeot 208 fail more often than on other cars?

At 9 years: body and structure (8.5 per 100 MOTs against 2.3 for all cars); exhaust, emissions and leaks (7.1 per 100 MOTs against 2.4 for all cars); lights and electrics (12.7 per 100 MOTs against 9.2 for all cars). Compared with 9,949,012 MOTs of all cars the same age.

Peugeot 208 problems by area

Other Peugeot models

All Peugeot models · Common problems by make

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.

Looking at a Peugeot 208?

These figures describe the model, not the car in front of you. Found one you might buy? See what the VetTheCar Buying Report covers, or use the tools that work without a registration.

See a sample report Car tools · MOT fail rates by model · Compare models by MOT record

Repair estimates: ONS consumer price quotes for local garage labour (09/2025 to 08/2026), the MOT inspection manual for defect wording, and estimated labour hours and parts bands. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ONS.

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources