Pass rate, every year
70.9% Below average
175,269 tests across 11 model years, 2000–2010.
−10.1 pts vs the national average
Peugeot 206 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics
Best year to buy
2007 73.3%
The strongest of the 11 years on record. See the 2007 page →
Worst year to buy
2000 67.8%
5.5 points below the 2007 peak. See the 2000 page →
The Peugeot 206 MOT pass rate is 70.9%, −10.1 percentage points below the UK average. That is 175,269 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2000 and 2010. This page lists the most common Peugeot 206 MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
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MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Peugeot 206 MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
Peugeot 206 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average
The Peugeot 206 passed on its first attempt in 61.8%, and its overall record sits −10.1 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Peugeot 206 in the 2023–2025 data: 175,269 tests across 11 model years (2000–2010). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 175,269 |
| Overall pass rate | 70.9% |
| Passed on first attempt | 61.8% |
| Average mileage at test | 83,373 mi |
| Model years covered | 2000–2010 (11 years) |
| Versus UK national average | −10.1 pts below |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Most Common Peugeot 206 MOT Problems by Failure Category
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Peugeot 206, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 42% |
| Suspension | 23% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 15% |
| Visibility | 10% |
| Brakes | 7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3% |
Shares are over the Peugeot 206's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Around 42% of the recorded Peugeot 206 failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (8.0%), "Position lamp not working" (3.8%), "Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect" (1.8%) among the Peugeot 206's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Suspension
Around 23% of the recorded Peugeot 206 failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Ball joint excessively worn" (3.9%), "Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (1.8%), "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (1.7%) among the Peugeot 206's suspension faults.
Body, chassis, structure
Around 15% of the recorded Peugeot 206 failures fall in the Body, chassis, structure section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases" (3.4%), "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (1.1%), "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (1.0%) among the Peugeot 206's body, chassis, structure faults.
Top Recorded Peugeot 206 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Peugeot 206, each with how many of the model's 175,269 tests it was noted on.
- "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 13,941 Peugeot 206 tests, 8.0% of the model's MOT record.
- "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 6,847 Peugeot 206 tests, 3.9% of the model's MOT record.
- "Position lamp not working" (Rectified) — noted on about 6,621 Peugeot 206 tests, 3.8% of the model's MOT record.
- "Exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases" (Major) — noted on about 5,894 Peugeot 206 tests, 3.4% of the model's MOT record.
- "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Major) — noted on about 4,052 Peugeot 206 tests, 2.3% of the model's MOT record.
- "Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect" (Major) — noted on about 3,241 Peugeot 206 tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.
What 206 fails on more than most
The 8 biggest of 19 failure items this model records at least 1.5 times the UK rate for.
| Failure item | This model | UK | × UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rear fog lamp not working | 2.4% | 0.4% | 6.0× | £3–£15 |
| Play in steering rack inner joint | 9.5% | 1.6% | 5.9× | £120–£300 |
| Emissions not tested unable to be completed | 1.5% | 0.3% | 5.0× | £60–£250 |
| Wheel bearings rough when rotated | 2.9% | 0.6% | 4.8× | £20–£55 |
| Lambda reading outside limits | 2.3% | 0.5% | 4.6× | £60–£250 |
| Exhaust system leaking | 12.5% | 2.8% | 4.5× | £45–£120 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover insecure | 2.5% | 0.6% | 4.2× | £18–£45 |
| Linkage ball joint excessively worn | 7.2% | 1.8% | 4.0× | £18–£45 |
Rates are a share of this model's own tests (175,269 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items 206 records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs
Best and Worst Peugeot 206 Model Years by Pass Rate
The strongest Peugeot 206 model year on record is 2007 (73.3% across 10,451 tests), and the weakest is 2000 (67.8%). The gap between them is 5.5 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 206 | 114 | 71.9% |
| 2009 206 | 2,312 | 71.4% |
| 2008 206 | 4,771 | 72.0% |
| 2007 206 | 10,451 | 73.3% |
| 2006 206 | 25,451 | 71.7% |
| 2005 206 | 34,711 | 71.7% |
| 2004 206 | 36,189 | 71.2% |
| 2003 206 | 25,816 | 69.9% |
| 2002 206 | 19,131 | 69.1% |
| 2001 206 | 11,710 | 69.8% |
| 2000 206 | 4,613 | 67.8% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Peugeot 206 Owners
These checks follow this Peugeot 206's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Peugeot 206.
-
the lights — “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.
-
the suspension joints — “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.
-
the exhaust and emissions — “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.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Peugeot 206. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
Frequently Asked Questions: Peugeot 206 MOT & Reliability
What is the Peugeot 206 MOT pass rate?
70.9% of the 175,269 recorded Peugeot 206 MOT tests ended in a pass, −10.1 percentage points below the national average. 61.8% of those passed on the first attempt.
Which Peugeot 206 model years pass the MOT most often?
2007 is the strongest Peugeot 206 year on record at 73.3%, while 2000 is the weakest at 67.8%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
What are the most common Peugeot 206 MOT failures?
The most recorded Peugeot 206 failures are "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" and "Ball joint excessively worn" — together around 12% of tests, mostly in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section.