Peugeot 205, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
2,609 Peugeot 205s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 71% of initial MOT tests, 1.3 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific 205? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Peugeot 205 at the MOT
71% of 3,268 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the 205 338th of 575 models.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Where 205s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Peugeot 205 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were service brake imbalance across an axle (4.1%), position lamp not working (4.1%) and washers not working (3.6%).
The MOT page lists every common 205 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The 205's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
-
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.30.2% of 205 failure items
-
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.22% of 205 failure items
-
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.13.3% of 205 failure items
Peugeot 205s in the UK
2,609 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 66% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- −66%from 7,756 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 1991half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 1991 or earlier
- Declared off the road
- 12,40783% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Peugeot 205s since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 7,756 |
| End of 2015 | 6,444 |
| End of 2016 | 5,318 |
| End of 2017 | 4,476 |
| End of 2018 | 3,925 |
| End of 2019 | 3,425 |
| End of 2020 | 3,040 |
| End of 2021 | 2,910 |
| End of 2022 | 2,678 |
| End of 2023 | 2,471 |
| End of 2024 | 2,240 |
| End of 2025 | 2,147 |
| End of June 2026 | 2,609 |
How old they are
Licensed Peugeot 205s by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 2,051 were first used before 2004.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 6 | 11 |
| 2022 | 1 | 6 |
| 2021 | 0 | 5 |
| 2020 | 0 | 7 |
| 2019 | 0 | 9 |
| 2018 | 1 | 10 |
| 2017 | 0 | 6 |
| 2016 | 3 | 12 |
| 2015 | 0 | 2 |
| 2014 | 5 | |
| 2013 | 2 | |
| 2012 | 5 | |
| 2011 | 4 | |
| 2010 | 9 | |
| 2009 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 1 | |
| 2006 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 0 |
205 engines and fuel
1.9 litre engines made up 31% of Peugeot 205 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.6 litre at 27%. Petrol accounts for 81% of licensed 205s and diesel for 19%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 3,267 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed 205s
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 2,104 | 81% |
| Diesel | 505 | 19% |
Peugeot 205 recalls
2 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Peugeot 205. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every 205 is affected.
-
Feb 2000 R/2000/004
Possibility of loss of brake servo assistance
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- There is a possibility that the brake servo valve may not function correctly resulting in loss of servo assistance to the braking system.
- Remedy
- Recall affected vehicles for the inspection and possible replacement of the brake servo valve.
-
Sep 1992 R/1992/054
Driveshaft nuts may slacken
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The driveshaft retaining nuts may slacken due to defective peening.
- Remedy
- Recall the affected vehicles and check the driveshaft retaining nuts for security. Any nut showing evidence of defective peening will be renewed and secured as per the manufacturers instructions.
Other Peugeot models
The most-tested Peugeot models in 2025, against the 205's 71% MOT pass rate.
Peugeot 205 FAQs
How many Peugeot 205s are there in the UK?
2,609 Peugeot 205s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 12,407 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Peugeot 205 reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 71% first-time pass rate for the Peugeot 205 across 3,268 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Peugeot 205 had any recalls?
2 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Peugeot 205. The most recent was published in February 2000. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Peugeot 205?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, brakes and suspension. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Peugeot 205's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a 205?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Peugeot history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Peugeot VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.