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Peugeot 407 reliability

C · Average

MOT pass rates and common problems from 135,385 MOT tests of cars first registered 2004–2011.

Jump to: YearsEnginesCommon failures
53.9%pass first time
−1.0 ptsvs typical car
Beats 47%of cars
135,385MOT tests

Verdict

The Peugeot 407 passes its MOT first time on 53.9% of tests, 1.0 points lower than a typical car of the same age and mileage (54.9%). That puts it ahead of 47% of cars on UK roads once age and mileage are taken into account.

By year of first registration, the 2005 407 does best (beats 49% of cars) and the 2007 worst (beats 47%).

Better than average on steering, seat belts & airbags.

Watch these weak spots

Body & structure1.4×as often as a typical car
Wheels1.6×as often as a typical car
Drive shaft (CV) joints2.9×as often as a typical car
ABS warning light5.3×as often as a typical car

MOT pass rate by age

First-time pass rate at each MOT by the car’s age in years.

50%55%60%65%70%89101112131415161718192063%57%54%53%53%54%54%
Peugeot 407Typical car, same age & mileage

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.

2004
Beats 56%
2005
Beats 49%
2006
Beats 49%
2007
Beats 47%
2008
Beats 47%
2009
Beats 40%
2010
Beats 37%
2011
Beats 34%

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.

EngineYearsTestsPass rateRankGrade
2.0 Diesel2004–2011104,88753.4%Beats 45%C
1.6 Diesel2005–201018,17455.9%Beats 51%C
2.0 Petrol2004–20064,62652.8%Beats 43%C
2.2 Diesel2007–20083,39458.4%Beats 62%B
2.2 Petrol2006–20073,10054.6%Beats 42%C
2.7 Diesel2006–20061,20457.1%Beats 60%B

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.

Exhaust: 5.4% of tests fail on emissions & leaks, against 6.4% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for oil or fluid leaks.Suspension: 15.1% of tests fail on suspension, against 18.1% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for knocks over speed bumps and push each corner down: it should settle at once.Lights: 22.1% of tests fail on lights & electrics, against 22.4% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Walk round the car with every light on, including brake, fog and number plate lights.Tyres: 9.5% of tests fail on tyres, against 8.6% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Check the tread on every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts or bulges.Brakes: 16.1% of tests fail on brakes, against 13.3% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stop straight with no pulsing or grinding.Lights: 22.1% of tests fail on lights & electrics, against 22.4% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Walk round the car with every light on, including brake, fog and number plate lights.Lights+0.3 ptsTyres: 9.5% of tests fail on tyres, against 8.6% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Check the tread on every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts or bulges.Tyres−0.9 ptsBrakes: 16.1% of tests fail on brakes, against 13.3% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stop straight with no pulsing or grinding.Brakes−2.8 ptsSuspension: 15.1% of tests fail on suspension, against 18.1% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for knocks over speed bumps and push each corner down: it should settle at once.Suspension+3.1 ptsExhaust: 5.4% of tests fail on emissions & leaks, against 6.4% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for oil or fluid leaks.Exhaust+1.0 ptsSuspension: 15.1% of tests fail on suspension, against 18.1% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for knocks over speed bumps and push each corner down: it should settle at once.Brakes: 16.1% of tests fail on brakes, against 13.3% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stop straight with no pulsing or grinding.Tyres: 9.5% of tests fail on tyres, against 8.6% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Check the tread on every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts or bulges.Lights: 22.1% of tests fail on lights & electrics, against 22.4% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Walk round the car with every light on, including brake, fog and number plate lights.Exhaust: 5.4% of tests fail on emissions & leaks, against 6.4% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for oil or fluid leaks.Lights: 22.1% of tests fail on lights & electrics, against 22.4% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Walk round the car with every light on, including brake, fog and number plate lights.Lights+0.3 ptsTyres: 9.5% of tests fail on tyres, against 8.6% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Check the tread on every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts or bulges.Tyres−0.9 ptsBrakes: 16.1% of tests fail on brakes, against 13.3% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stop straight with no pulsing or grinding.Brakes−2.8 ptsSuspension: 15.1% of tests fail on suspension, against 18.1% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for knocks over speed bumps and push each corner down: it should settle at once.Suspension+3.1 ptsExhaust: 5.4% of tests fail on emissions & leaks, against 6.4% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for oil or fluid leaks.Exhaust+1.0 pts
Better than typicalTypicalWorse than typical
Brakes: 16.1% of tests fail on brakes, against 13.3% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stop straight with no pulsing or grinding.

Every MOT area

Share of tests failing on each area, against a typical car of the same age and mileage (black line).

Lights & electrics
22.1% vs 22.4%
Brakes
16.1% vs 13.3%
Suspension
15.1% vs 18.1%
Body & structure
10.1% vs 7.3%
Tyres
9.5% vs 8.6%
Visibility
8.7% vs 7.2%
Emissions & leaks
5.4% vs 6.4%
Steering
2.8% vs 3.8%
Seat belts & airbags
1.1% vs 2.4%
Wheels
1.0% vs 0.6%

Buying one or MOT due? Check these

  • Windscreen washers 1.8× typical
    Test the washers and wipers: a cheap fix, but a very common MOT fail.
  • Suspension ball joints 1.5× typical
    Listen for knocks over speed bumps and feel for wandering or vague steering.
  • Sidelights
    Walk around with the lights on: bulb failures are the easiest MOT fails to avoid.
  • Tyre damage & cracking
    Look for cuts, bulges and cracking on both sidewalls of every tyre.
  • Headlight bulbs & units
    Check dipped and main beam on both sides.
  • Tyre tread depth
    Check every tyre, including the inner edge, has at least 3 mm of tread. Uneven wear can point to alignment or suspension problems.

Pass rate by mileage

First-time pass rate by mileage at the test.

40%50%60%70%80%30k40k50k60k70k80k90k100k110k120k130k140k150k77%68%60%55%52%50%49%
Peugeot 407Typical car

Most common MOT failures

ItemThis carTypicalvs typical
Drive shaft (CV) joints8.1%2.8%2.9×
Sidelights6.7%6.1%1.1×
Windscreen washers6.0%3.3%1.8×
Brake lights5.4%4.3%1.2×
ABS warning light5.2%1.0%5.3×
Tyre damage & cracking4.9%4.1%1.2×
Headlight bulbs & units4.5%4.0%1.1×
Tyre tread depth4.2%3.9%1.1×
Suspension ball joints3.8%2.6%1.5×
Number plate lights3.5%2.8%1.3×

Specific defects found

Tester wording for the most frequent failure items, per 1,000 tests.

Defectper 1,000
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn88.4
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc83.9
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen59.7
Warning device shows system malfunction51.2
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning48.4
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning47.8
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements41.6
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements33.0
Check another car

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.

2011 Peugeot 4071 engine59.1% passD
EngineTestsPass rateRankGrade
2.0 Diesel1,87659.1%Beats 34%D
2010 Peugeot 4072 engines57.2% passD
EngineTestsPass rateRankGrade
2.0 Diesel9,03456.4%Beats 34%D
1.6 Diesel3,10759.3%Beats 47%C
2009 Peugeot 4072 engines55.5% passC
EngineTestsPass rateRankGrade
2.0 Diesel10,55955.0%Beats 39%D
1.6 Diesel3,28557.2%Beats 44%C
2008 Peugeot 4073 engines55.2% passC
EngineTestsPass rateRankGrade
2.0 Diesel11,33654.5%Beats 44%C
1.6 Diesel2,29356.5%Beats 51%C
2.2 Diesel1,15460.1%Beats 65%B
2007 Peugeot 4074 engines54.0% passC
EngineTestsPass rateRankGrade
2.0 Diesel21,54453.3%Beats 45%C
1.6 Diesel2,70656.4%Beats 57%C
2.2 Diesel2,24057.5%Beats 61%B
2.2 Petrol1,54054.8%Beats 39%D
2006 Peugeot 4075 engines52.9% passC
EngineTestsPass rateRankGrade
2.0 Diesel25,98051.8%Beats 46%C
1.6 Diesel3,42456.4%Beats 61%B
2.0 Petrol1,62057.3%Beats 57%C
2.2 Petrol1,56054.4%Beats 44%C
2.7 Diesel1,20457.1%Beats 60%B
2005 Peugeot 4073 engines51.6% passC
EngineTestsPass rateRankGrade
2.0 Diesel19,65452.0%Beats 51%C
1.6 Diesel3,35950.1%Beats 44%C
2.0 Petrol1,54150.0%Beats 32%D
2004 Peugeot 4072 engines53.0% passC
EngineTestsPass rateRankGrade
2.0 Diesel4,90453.6%Beats 60%C
2.0 Petrol1,46550.9%Beats 40%C

FAQ

What is the Peugeot 407 MOT pass rate?

53.9% of MOT tests on the Peugeot 407 were passed first time, based on 135,385 tests between 2018 and 2026 of cars first registered 2004–2011. A typical car of the same age and mileage passes 54.9% of the time.

Is the Peugeot 407 reliable?

On MOT results it rates C (average): it passes first time less often than a typical car of the same age and mileage and does better than 47% of cars on UK roads. MOT results cover safety and emissions items, not every kind of breakdown.

Which Peugeot 407 year is best?

Among years with enough data, the 2005 407 does best for its age and mileage: it beats 49% of cars on UK roads. The 2007 does worst: it beats 47%.

What are the most common MOT failures on the Peugeot 407?

The most common failure items are drive shaft (CV) joints, sidelights, windscreen washers. Compared with similar cars, drive shaft (CV) joints comes up 2.9× as often.

How we calculate this. We use official MOT results for cars tested in Great Britain from 2018 to 2026. Each car is compared with typical cars of the same age and mileage, so old and new cars are judged fairly; “pts” are percentage points above or below them. Differences also reflect how cars are used and maintained, not only how they are built.