Peugeot 406 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Peugeot 406 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Peugeot 406 passed on its first attempt in 63.2%, and its overall record sits −9.5 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Peugeot 406 in the 2023–2025 data: 9,481 tests across 5 model years (2000–2004). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Peugeot 406 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Peugeot 406, 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.

Shares are over the Peugeot 406's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Peugeot 406 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Peugeot 406, each with how many of the model's 9,481 tests it was noted on.

• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 478 Peugeot 406 tests, 5.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" (Major) — noted on about 401 Peugeot 406 tests, 4.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 387 Peugeot 406 tests, 4.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 369 Peugeot 406 tests, 3.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 360 Peugeot 406 tests, 3.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements" (Major) — noted on about 356 Peugeot 406 tests, 3.8% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Peugeot 406 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Peugeot 406 model year on record is 2001 (72.3% across 2,234 tests), and the weakest is 2003 (70.0%). The gap between them is 2.3 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Peugeot 406 Owners

These checks follow this Peugeot 406's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Peugeot 406.

• 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.

• corrosion — “component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength”

  Look under the sills, around the jacking points and where the suspension mounts meet the body. Flaking, holed or crumbly metal fails; a brown stain on sound metal does not.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Peugeot 406. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Peugeot 406 MOT & Reliability