2025 MOT results
Peugeot 206 common problems
The most common reason a Peugeot 206 fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 14.7% of its 15,830 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 6 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a rear fog lamp out at 6.9% of failures against 2.4% expected; an exhaust leak at 9.3% of failures against 4.7% expected; a split joint boot at 7.1% of failures against 3.7% expected.
- Tests in 2025 34,318 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 46.1% 15,830 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 9.9% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 73.1% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Peugeot 206 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Peugeot 206 tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 14.7% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 10.9% |
| Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 9.3% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 8.5% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.3% |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 7.1% |
| Rear fog lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.9% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.6% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 6.6% |
| Catalyst emissions: lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.5% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 6.5% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Sidelight out
14.7% of failures 12.5% expected somewhat more often
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
10.9% of failures 7.2% expected 1.5 times as often
Wiper blades that leave the windscreen smeared or streaked across the area the driver looks through.
Look for split or hardened rubber, and lift each blade to see whether it still sits flat.
-
Exhaust leak
9.3% of failures 4.7% expected 2 times as often
A hole or split letting exhaust gas out before the tailpipe.
A blowing or rasping note under load, loudest from cold.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
8.5% of failures 5.1% expected 1.7 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Headlamp aim out of line
8.3% of failures 9.4% expected about as expected
The beam pattern points too high, too low, or in the wrong place, so it either dazzles others or lights too little road.
Nothing to do at the roadside, but a garage resets the aim in minutes; a sagging suspension corner or a heavy boot load can throw it out.
-
Split joint boot
7.1% of failures 3.7% expected 1.9 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Peugeot 206, on 51.7% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 48.7%.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 51.7% |
| Suspension | 38.8% |
| Brakes | 27.8% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 22.8% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 19.0% |
| Visibility | 18.8% |
| Tyres | 14.4% |
| Steering | 8.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
73.1% of Peugeot 206 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Peugeot 206s, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 21.2% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 16.8% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 16.4% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 13.5% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 10.0% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 9.5% |
| Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Non-component advisories | 9.1% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 9.1% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 7.8% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 6.0% |
| Linkage ball joint has slight play Suspension | 5.4% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 5.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Peugeot 206 gets older
A 2007 Peugeot 206 failed 43.5% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2001 one failed 47.4%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2007 Peugeot 206 43.5% failed, from 2,185 tests
- Sidelight out 14.3%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 11.7%
- Split joint boot 10.8%
- Exhaust leak 8.9%
- Headlamp aim out of line 7.9%
- Headlamp out 7.5%
2001 Peugeot 206 47.4% failed, from 2,220 tests
- Sidelight out 17.5%
- Brake light out 12.9%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 10.7%
- Exhaust leak 10.4%
- Weak or uneven footbrake 10.3%
- Split joint boot 9.1%
Shares are of each year's failed tests. Every MOT a particular car has had, with the defects and advisories written at each test, is on GOV.UK's MOT history service from the registration, free.
Peugeot 206 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Peugeot 206?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 14.7% of failed Peugeot 206 tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 51.7% of failed tests.
How often does a Peugeot 206 fail its MOT?
46.1% of Peugeot 206 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 34,318 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 41 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Peugeot 206 than on other cars?
Yes. “Rear fog lamp: not working” appears on 6.9% of its failures against 2.4% for cars of the same age, and “Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases” appears on 9.3% of its failures against 4.7% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Peugeot 206 aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 34,318 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.