Pass rate
69.9%
Below average — 2.7 pts behind the 72.6% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 25,816 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £24–£71
2003 Peugeot 206 MOT pass rate
- 2003
- 2 trims combined
- typical 83,454 mi
Most common fault
Suspension
20.2% of faults · 21.0% nationally
mostly worn arm bushes, split ball-joint boots and broken coil springs.
Which year to buy
- Best 2007 73.3% pass
- Avoid 2000 67.8% pass
Across the 11 years on record, a spread of 5.5 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 60.3%
- Typical mileage
- 83k mi
The 2003 Peugeot 206 MOT pass rate is 69.9% of its MOT tests — 2.7 points behind what its age and mileage predict. Suspension is the biggest single reason it fails, at 20.2% of what testers record.
Check your postcode
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Peugeot 206 does in your corner of the country.
Expert verdict
Lamps & electrics: 1.4× the national share
Lamps & electrics make up 17.3% of everything recorded on the 2003 Peugeot 206, against 12.2% nationally — 5.1 points above. Suspension is still the single largest share at 20.2%, but at 21.0% nationally that one is ordinary. Walk round the car with the lights on before the test: bulbs, indicators and number-plate lamps are the cheapest failures to prevent and among the most common.
Written from this page's own figures: fault shares against the national composition, the like-for-like pass rate, and the priced repair list. How these are worked out
Watching a Peugeot 206? Get an email when these numbers change .
Every Peugeot 206 first registered in 2003 is combined here — 2 trim and body variants in total — so the sample is as large as the DVSA data allows.
How does the 2003 Peugeot 206 compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 72.6%, so this figure is 2.7 points behind what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 60.3%. The median 2003 Peugeot 206 in this dataset had covered 83,454 mi.
The most common fuel recorded here is Petrol — 79% of tests, with a 70.2% pass rate. Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 69.3% of the time, April–September 70.6%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources", noted on 7.85% of tests.
- 25,816 recorded tests behind this page.
- 69.9% overall pass rate, 60.3% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the Peugeot 206, the average is 70.9% — best year 2007 (73.3%), worst 2000 (67.8%).
Figures count every completed test on this vehicle-year in the dataset, including retests. See methodology for the exact definition.
This page's data
- Tests analysed
- 25,816
- Typical mileage (median)
- 83,454 mi
- Make and model
- Peugeot 206
- Updated
- 2026-11-05
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Number Plate Lamp
Usually a DIY or independent-garage job.
Does mileage affect the 206 MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 57% so small gaps stay visible.
Fuel type and reliability
Pass rate by fuel type. Petrol is the most common here (79% of tests).
Regional pass rates for the 206
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 5,852 | 72.1% |
| South West | 5,130 | 65.7% |
| West Midlands | 3,061 | 72.5% |
| East of England | 3,004 | 71.0% |
| North West | 2,352 | 69.4% |
| East Midlands | 1,911 | 70.2% |
| Yorkshire | 1,626 | 68.5% |
| Wales | 1,055 | 67.3% |
| London | 935 | 78.4% |
| Scotland | 485 | 60.8% |
| North East | 405 | 66.7% |
Regions come from the postcode area recorded at the test station. Areas on region borders are assigned to the region with the majority of their population.
What fails a 2003 206
Everything a tester recorded on this vehicle, grouped into the inspection sections that produced it. The notch on each bar is the national share, so you can see at a glance whether this car is unusual or just ordinary.
A test can record several items, so these percentages do not add up to 100%. The exact strings, with prices, are in the full DVSA record at the bottom of this page.
Before your test
Three checks worth doing on a 2003 206
These are not generic tips — they are the faults recorded most often on this exact model, rewritten as things you can check yourself. All three take about ten minutes and cost nothing.
-
Check the lights 7.8% of tests
“registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”
Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.
-
Check the exhaust and emissions 4.0% of tests
“exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases”
Listen for a blow at idle and have someone rev it gently. Then look at the tailpipe smoke: blue is oil, white when warm is coolant, black is over-fuelling. Any of those and the emissions test is the least of it.
-
Check the suspension joints 3.6% of tests
“ball joint excessively worn”
With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.
Shares are the proportion of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item, so they overlap: one test can record several.
What it costs to get a 2003 206 through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £24–£71 — and 47% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £24–£71
- Cheapest common item: rear fog lamp not working
- £3–£15
- Dearest common item: catalyst emissions lambda reading after 2nd…
- £60–£250
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 70%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 47%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 25,816 MOT tests on this vehicle. They exclude diagnostics, retest fees and garage labour where the part is a DIY fit, and they are not figures from the DVSA dataset. Older and higher-mileage examples cost more than the average. How these estimates are built → · All MOT repair costs → · Cheapest cars to put through a test →
Every year of the 206, side by side
11 model years on record, from 2000 to 2010. Across them the pass rate runs from 67.8% to 73.3% — a spread of 5.5 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2000 67.8% catalyst emissions lambda reading…
- 2001 69.8% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2002 69.1% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2003 69.9%registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2004 71.2% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2005 71.7% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2006 71.7% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2007 73.3% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2008 72.0% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2009 71.4% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2010 71.9% registration plate lamp(s)…
Colour is the pass rate on a fixed scale, so a block means the same thing on any model. Each year links to its own page with the full fault breakdown.
Compare the 2003 Peugeot 206 with another year
The raw pass rate mostly measures age. The year comparison adds the like-for-like figure, the mileage bands and the repair bill.
Other 2003 cars with a similar record
- Land Rover Freelander 70.0%
- Ford Mondeo 70.0%
- SEAT Ibiza 70.0%
- Skoda Fabia 70.1%
- Vauxhall Zafira 70.1%
- Honda Cr-V 69.5%
Closest pass rates among 2003 cars with at least 2,000 tests, so a small sample cannot flatter itself into the list. See the full rankings: best and worst MOT pass rates.
The full DVSA record for the 2003 Peugeot 206 10 failure items · 6 advisories · 10 inspection categories · mileage brackets · all of it in the page, none of it above the fold
Every inspection category
Shares of the 85,601 individual items recorded on this vehicle, and the same share across all cars nationally. A single test can record several items, so a row is not a percentage of tests.
| Category | Items | This car | Nationally | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 17,531 | 20.20% | 20.98% | −0.78 |
| Brakes | 16,811 | 19.30% | 20.89% | −1.59 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 15,048 | 17.30% | 12.21% | +5.09 |
| Tyres | 9,637 | 11.10% | 19.76% | −8.66 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 8,367 | 9.60% | 5.52% | +4.08 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 7,983 | 9.20% | 5.57% | +3.63 |
| Visibility | 3,483 | 4.00% | 4.97% | −0.97 |
| Non-component advisories | 2,952 | 3.40% | 4.18% | −0.78 |
| Steering | 1,906 | 2.20% | 2.57% | −0.37 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 1,883 | 2.20% | 1.76% | +0.44 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 7.8% | £5–20 |
| Exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | Major | 4.0% | £45–120 |
| Position lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 3.9% | £5–25 |
| Ball joint excessively worn Suspension | Major | 3.6% | £18–45 |
| Rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements Brakes | Major | 3.2% | £45–110 |
| Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 3.1% | £30–80 |
| Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | Major | 3.0% | £8–22 |
| Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 3.0% | £60–250 |
| Service brake imbalance across an axle Brakes | Major | 2.8% | £45–110 |
| Rear fog lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 2.7% | £3–15 |
Severity is as recorded: Major and Dangerous fail the test outright; Minor and Advisory do not. Costs are estimates from typical UK parts prices — see how they are built.
What testers noted without failing the car
Advisories are the early warnings — the same parts a year or two before they fail. Reading them is how you tell a car that has been maintained from one that has been patched.
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine oil leaks leaking excessively from engine Noise, emissions and leaks | Advisory | 18.0% | £200–700 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 15.4% | £45–95 |
| Has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | Advisory | 14.8% | £45–95 |
| Brake discs in such a condition that it is seriously weakened Brakes | Advisory | 13.7% | £45–110 |
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Advisory | 12.7% | £80–180 |
| Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | Advisory | 11.8% | £40–150 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 663 | 84.3% | 23,279 mi |
| 30-60k | 5,429 | 73.9% | 47,382 mi |
| 60-90k | 8,645 | 70.8% | 75,168 mi |
| 90-120k | 6,792 | 67.1% | 103,336 mi |
| 120k+ | 4,241 | 65.1% | 146,549 mi |
Source: 25,816 recorded tests on this vehicle-year. Every row above is recomputed from the same DVSA extract as the rest of the page — see the methodology.
2003 206 MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2003 Peugeot 206?
69.9% of the 25,816 2003 Peugeot 206 tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 72.6% for cars first used in 2003. First-attempt pass rate: 60.3%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2003 Peugeot 206?
The three most recorded items are registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (7.85%), exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases (4.03%), position lamp not working (3.93%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2003 Peugeot 206 MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 84.3% of the time, falling to 65.1% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2003 Peugeot 206 in this dataset had covered 83,454 mi.
Which fuel type is most reliable for a 2003 Peugeot 206?
Petrol: 70.2% pass rate across 20,473 tests. Diesel: 68.8% pass rate across 5,342 tests. Shares are of the tests on this vehicle that recorded each fuel type.
Does the season affect the 2003 Peugeot 206 MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 69.3% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 70.6%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.