Verdict
The Peugeot 206 passes its MOT first time on 49.5% of tests, 6.9 points lower than a typical car of the same age and mileage (56.4%). That puts it ahead of 25% of cars on UK roads once age and mileage are taken into account.
By year of first registration, the 2004 206 does best (beats 31% of cars) and the 2000 worst (beats 11%).
Of its engines, the 1.4 Diesel does best (beats 32%) and the 2.0 Petrol worst (beats 17%).
Watch these weak spots
MOT pass rate by age
First-time pass rate at each MOT by the car’s age in years.
Best and worst years
By year of first registration, ranked against all cars on UK roads after adjusting for age and mileage. Green = better than half of cars.
Engines
All years, most common first. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4 Petrol | 50.9% | Beats 24% | D |
| 1.1 Petrol | 48.9% | Beats 22% | D |
| 1.6 Petrol | 50.2% | Beats 24% | D |
| 1.4 Diesel | 48.6% | Beats 32% | D |
| 2.0 Diesel | 44.7% | Beats 25% | D |
| 2.0 Petrol | 45.8% | Beats 17% | E |
| 1.6 Diesel | 47.6% | Beats 23% | D |
| 1.9 Diesel | 45.9% | Beats 20% | D |
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 2.2× typical
Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look for heavy corrosion underneath. - Sidelights 1.6× typical
Walk around with the lights on: bulb failures are the easiest MOT fails to avoid. - Suspension ball joints 2.0× typical
Listen for knocks over speed bumps and feel for wandering or vague steering. - Exhaust emissions (catalyst) 1.9× typical
Check past MOT emissions readings in the car's history: rising readings can mean catalyst or sensor problems. - Headlight aim
Park facing a wall at night: both dipped beams should sit level and dip to the left. - Windscreen wipers
Test the washers and wipers: a cheap fix, but a very common MOT fail.
Pass rate by mileage
First-time pass rate by mileage at the test.
Most common MOT failures
| Item | This car | Typical | vs typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sidelights | 7.7% | 4.7% | 1.6× |
| Headlight aim | 6.8% | 5.5% | 1.2× |
| Exhaust system | 5.8% | 2.6% | 2.2× |
| Windscreen wipers | 4.8% | 3.6% | 1.3× |
| Headlight bulbs & units | 4.4% | 3.9% | 1.1× |
| Exhaust emissions (catalyst) | 4.2% | 2.3% | 1.9× |
| Suspension ball joints | 3.9% | 2.0% | 2.0× |
| Tyre damage & cracking | 3.9% | 3.5% | 1.1× |
| Brake lights | 3.7% | 4.2% | 0.9× |
| Tyre tread depth | 3.7% | 3.0% | 1.2× |
Specific defects found
Tester wording for the most frequent failure items, per 1,000 tests.
| Defect | per 1,000 |
|---|---|
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 88.6 |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 68.3 |
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 59.1 |
| Exhaust system leaking or insecure | 54.7 |
| Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 47.1 |
| A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 46.6 |
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 36.6 |
| Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 36.0 |
Pick a make and model to see its MOT pass rate, best and worst years and weak spots.
Every year and engine
Tap a year to see its 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.
2009 Peugeot 2062 engines55.9% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4 Petrol | 56.3% | Beats 19% | E |
| 1.4 Diesel | 54.6% | Beats 27% | D |
2008 Peugeot 2062 engines56.0% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4 Petrol | 57.4% | Beats 24% | D |
| 1.4 Diesel | 52.4% | Beats 23% | D |
2007 Peugeot 2063 engines56.0% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4 Petrol | 56.4% | Beats 26% | D |
| 1.6 Petrol | 57.5% | Beats 23% | D |
| 1.4 Diesel | 52.3% | Beats 28% | D |
2006 Peugeot 2066 engines52.1% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4 Petrol | 52.9% | Beats 26% | D |
| 1.6 Petrol | 53.3% | Beats 22% | D |
| 1.4 Diesel | 50.2% | Beats 34% | D |
| 1.6 Diesel | 48.5% | Beats 24% | D |
| 2.0 Petrol | 49.2% | Beats 14% | E |
| 1.1 Petrol | 51.5% | Beats 23% | D |
2005 Peugeot 2067 engines50.9% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4 Petrol | 52.7% | Beats 32% | D |
| 1.1 Petrol | 51.8% | Beats 29% | D |
| 1.6 Petrol | 51.4% | Beats 26% | D |
| 1.4 Diesel | 48.6% | Beats 34% | D |
| 2.0 Diesel | 45.9% | Beats 26% | D |
| 2.0 Petrol | 46.9% | Beats 16% | E |
| 1.6 Diesel | 45.8% | Beats 21% | D |
2004 Peugeot 2066 engines50.3% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4 Petrol | 51.7% | Beats 34% | D |
| 1.1 Petrol | 51.0% | Beats 30% | D |
| 1.6 Petrol | 50.1% | Beats 28% | D |
| 1.4 Diesel | 48.9% | Beats 38% | D |
| 2.0 Petrol | 47.3% | Beats 22% | D |
| 2.0 Diesel | 45.5% | Beats 29% | D |
2003 Peugeot 2066 engines47.4% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4 Petrol | 48.5% | Beats 23% | D |
| 1.6 Petrol | 48.5% | Beats 25% | D |
| 1.1 Petrol | 47.0% | Beats 19% | E |
| 1.4 Diesel | 46.8% | Beats 32% | D |
| 2.0 Petrol | 45.0% | Beats 17% | E |
| 2.0 Diesel | 43.2% | Beats 23% | D |
2002 Peugeot 2066 engines45.2% passE
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4 Petrol | 45.8% | Beats 16% | E |
| 1.1 Petrol | 44.5% | Beats 14% | E |
| 1.6 Petrol | 47.1% | Beats 22% | D |
| 1.4 Diesel | 43.8% | Beats 24% | D |
| 2.0 Petrol | 43.1% | Beats 14% | E |
| 2.0 Diesel | 44.0% | Beats 26% | D |
2001 Peugeot 2066 engines46.9% passE
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4 Petrol | 47.5% | Beats 17% | E |
| 1.1 Petrol | 46.1% | Beats 16% | E |
| 1.6 Petrol | 49.3% | Beats 25% | D |
| 2.0 Diesel | 44.0% | Beats 23% | D |
| 2.0 Petrol | 45.5% | Beats 19% | E |
| 1.9 Diesel | 45.1% | Beats 23% | D |
2000 Peugeot 2066 engines45.1% passE
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4 Petrol | 45.0% | Beats 9% | E |
| 1.1 Petrol | 43.3% | Beats 8% | E |
| 1.6 Petrol | 45.6% | Beats 14% | E |
| 2.0 Diesel | 43.5% | Beats 17% | E |
| 1.9 Diesel | 46.6% | Beats 24% | D |
| 2.0 Petrol | 53.8% | Beats 40% | C |
1999 Peugeot 2064 engines43.4% passE
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4 Petrol | 44.2% | Beats 6% | E |
| 1.1 Petrol | 41.3% | Beats 4% | E |
| 1.6 Petrol | 41.7% | Beats 6% | E |
| 1.9 Diesel | 46.5% | Beats 15% | E |
FAQ
What is the Peugeot 206 MOT pass rate?
49.5% of MOT tests on the Peugeot 206 were passed first time, based on 823,239 tests between 2018 and 2026 of cars first registered 1999–2009. A typical car of the same age and mileage passes 56.4% of the time.
Is the Peugeot 206 reliable?
On MOT results it rates D (below average): it passes first time less often than a typical car of the same age and mileage and does better than 25% of cars on UK roads. MOT results cover safety and emissions items, not every kind of breakdown.
Which Peugeot 206 year is best?
Among years with enough data, the 2004 206 does best for its age and mileage: it beats 31% of cars on UK roads. The 2000 does worst: it beats 11%.
Which Peugeot 206 engine is best?
Across all years, the 1.4 Diesel does best: it beats 32% of cars on UK roads. The 2.0 Petrol does worst: it beats 17%.
What are the most common MOT failures on the Peugeot 206?
The most common failure items are sidelights, headlight aim, exhaust system. Compared with similar cars, exhaust system comes up 2.2× as often.