2025 MOT results
Peugeot 406 common problems
The most common reason a Peugeot 406 fails its MOT is structural corrosion, on 13.4% of its 1,010 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 4 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: an exhaust leak at 9.3% of failures against 5.2% expected; a weak or uneven footbrake at 6.6% of failures against 3.9% expected; structural corrosion at 13.4% of failures against 8.4% expected.
- Tests in 2025 2,421 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 41.7% 1,010 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 8.9% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 73.3% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Peugeot 406 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Peugeot 406 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 |
|---|---|
| Component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Suspension | 13.4% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 10.5% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 10.1% |
| Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 9.3% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 8.8% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.7% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.8% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 7.6% |
| Service brake performance: excessively binding Brakes | 6.6% |
| Service brake imbalance: across an axle Brakes | 6.4% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.4% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 5.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Structural corrosion
13.4% of failures 8.4% expected 1.6 times as often
Corrosion in a structural area near a suspension, steering or seat belt mounting, which is a serious failure.
Look at the inner sills, rear spring seats and subframe mounts on cars over about 12 years old.
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Headlamp aim out of line
10.5% of failures 7.6% expected somewhat more often
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.
-
Weak handbrake
10.1% of failures 6.6% expected 1.5 times as often
The handbrake cannot hold the car to the efficiency the test requires, usually from a stretched cable or seized rear callipers.
On a hill, the handbrake should hold the car with a couple of clicks left in the lever.
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Exhaust leak
9.3% of failures 5.2% expected 1.8 times as often
A hole or split letting exhaust gas out before the tailpipe.
A blowing or rasping note under load, loudest from cold.
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Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
8.8% of failures 8.0% expected about as expected
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.
-
Sidelight out
8.7% of failures 11.0% expected somewhat less 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.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Peugeot 406, on 45.1% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is body, chassis, structure, on 27.1% against 21.5% expected.
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 | 45.1% |
| Suspension | 38.0% |
| Brakes | 34.5% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 27.1% |
| Visibility | 16.3% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 14.7% |
| Tyres | 12.0% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 10.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
73.3% of Peugeot 406 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Peugeot 406s, 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 | 21.4% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 20.1% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 18.8% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 11.3% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 10.8% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 10.4% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 9.2% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 8.9% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 8.7% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 6.2% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 6.0% |
| Linkage ball joint has slight play Suspension | 5.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Peugeot 406 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Peugeot 406?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength” is the most common: it appears on 13.4% of failed Peugeot 406 tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 45.1% of failed tests.
How often does a Peugeot 406 fail its MOT?
41.7% of Peugeot 406 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 2,421 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 47 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Peugeot 406 than on other cars?
Yes. “Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases” appears on 9.3% of its failures against 5.2% for cars of the same age, and “Service brake performance: excessively binding” appears on 6.6% of its failures against 3.9% 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 406 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 | 2,421 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.