Verdict
The 2015 Peugeot 208 1.2 petrol passes its MOT first time on 77.6% of tests, against 80.3% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. It beats only 28% of cars on UK roads: below average, though better than the 208 as a whole, which beats about one in five.
A little ahead of a typical car at its first MOT, it falls behind from 4 years old on, by 2–4 points at 5–8 and 5–7 points by 10–11. These cars cover few miles (about 40,000 at a typical MOT), which hides how mileage hurts: across all years of the 1.2 petrol, it is ahead of a typical car under 20,000 miles but about 9 points behind at 60,000 and 12–15 behind from 80,000.
2015 and 2016 are the best of the main years of this engine, each beating about three in ten cars. 2012 and 2018 cars do worst, beating fewer than one in ten, and 2017 cars only about one in ten. The 1.2 petrol is the best of the 2015 208 engines, if only just: the 1.0 petrol, 1.4 diesel and 1.6 petrol beat about one in four cars and the 1.6 diesel fewer than one in five.
Suspension, brakes and visibility items fail less often than on a typical car. The weak spots are the exhaust system (9 times as often as a typical car), catalyst emissions (8 times), body and structure items (3.8 times) and lights and electrics (1.7 times).
Watch these weak spots
MOT pass rate by age
First-time pass rate at each MOT.
Where it fails
Each area compared with a typical car of the same age and mileage, in points of pass rate. Tap or hover an area to see what to check.
Every MOT area
Share of tests failing on each area, against a typical car of the same age and mileage (black line).
Buying one or MOT due? Check these
- Exhaust system
The most common fail, on about 1 in 28 tests (9 times the typical rate), and testers advise on the exhaust on about 1 in 9 tests. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for leaks, heavy corrosion and loose mountings. - Exhaust emissions (catalyst)
Fail on about 1 in 36 tests, 8 times as often as on a typical car. Check past MOT emissions readings in the car's history and make sure the engine warning light goes out after start-up. - Headlight bulbs
Fail on about 1 in 30 tests, 3.5 times the typical rate. Check dipped and main beam on both sides. - Number plate lights
Fail on about 1 in 37 tests, 5.1 times as often as on a typical car. Walk around with the lights on and check the rear number plate is lit. - Body and structure
Body and structure items fail on about 1 in 22 tests, 3.7 times the typical rate. Look underneath and around the car for damage, corrosion and loose panels or trim. - Brake discs and CV joints
Each fail on about 1 in 100 tests, about 1.7 times the typical rate. Look through the wheel spokes for scored discs, check the CV joint boots inside the front wheels for splits, and listen for clicking on full lock.
Pass rate by mileage
First-time pass rate by mileage at the test.
Most common MOT failures
| Item | This car | Typical | vs typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exhaust system | 3.5% | 0.4% | 9.0× |
| Headlight bulbs & units | 3.3% | 0.9% | 3.5× |
| Exhaust emissions (catalyst) | 2.8% | 0.3% | 8.0× |
| Number plate lights | 2.7% | 0.5% | 5.2× |
| Tyre damage & cracking | 2.7% | 2.9% | 0.9× |
| Tyre tread depth | 1.7% | 1.8% | 1.0× |
| Headlight aim | 1.7% | 1.8% | 0.9× |
| Brake lights | 1.5% | 1.1% | 1.5× |
| Windscreen washers | 1.3% | 1.4% | 0.9× |
| Suspension ball joints | 1.0% | 0.8% | 1.3× |
Specific defects found
Tester wording for the most frequent failure items, per 1,000 tests.
| Defect | per 1,000 |
|---|---|
| Exhaust system leaking or insecure | 33.6 |
| A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED | 31.2 |
| A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | 23.9 |
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 20.3 |
| A tyre seriously damaged | 18.1 |
| Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer | 17.6 |
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 17.2 |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 16.7 |
Pick a make and model to see its MOT pass rate, best and worst years and weak spots.
Advisories
Not a fail yet, but likely to need attention soon.
| Item | Share of tests | vs typical |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre damage & cracking | 13.7% | 1.5× |
| Tyre tread depth | 13.1% | 0.9× |
| Brake discs | 12.4% | 1.4× |
| Exhaust system | 10.8% | 9.5× |
| Suspension arm bushes | 6.2% | 2.2× |
| Brake pads | 4.9% | 0.7× |
| Engine oil leaks | 2.2% | 1.8× |
| Brake performance | 1.2% | 1.0× |
Best and worst years
208 1.2 Petrol by year, ranked against all cars on UK roads after adjusting for age and mileage. Green = better than half of cars.
Other 2015 208 engines
Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 Petrol | 77.6% | Beats 28% | D |
| 1.6 Diesel | 71.7% | Beats 16% | E |
| 1.0 Petrol | 78.0% | Beats 24% | D |
| 1.4 Diesel | 72.9% | Beats 25% | D |
| 1.6 Petrol | 77.2% | Beats 24% | D |
FAQ
What is the MOT pass rate of a 2015 Peugeot 208 1.2 petrol?
77.6% of MOT tests on the 2015 Peugeot 208 1.2 petrol were passed first time, from 155,569 tests. A typical car of the same age and mileage passes 80.3%.
Is the 2015 Peugeot 208 1.2 petrol reliable?
On MOT results it is below average: it beats 28% of cars on UK roads, and it falls further behind a typical car as it ages and at high mileage. MOT results cover safety and emissions items, not every kind of breakdown.
What are the most common MOT failures on the 2015 Peugeot 208 1.2 petrol?
The exhaust system (about 1 in 28 tests), headlight bulbs, catalyst emissions and number plate lights. The exhaust system and catalyst emissions each fail 8–9 times as often as on a typical car.
Which year of Peugeot 208 1.2 petrol is best?
2015 and 2016 are the best of the main years, each beating about three in ten cars on UK roads once age and mileage are taken into account. 2012 and 2018 cars do worst, beating fewer than one in ten, and 2017 cars only about one in ten.
Which 2015 Peugeot 208 engine is best?
The 1.2 petrol, by a small margin. The 1.0 petrol, 1.4 diesel and 1.6 petrol each beat about one in four cars, and the 1.6 diesel does worst.
Does mileage matter on a Peugeot 208 1.2 petrol?
Yes. Across all years of the 1.2 petrol, it is ahead of a typical car under 20,000 miles, but about 9 points behind at 60,000 miles and 12–15 points behind from 80,000.