Peugeot 208, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
265,394 Peugeot 208s are licensed in the UK, the 30th most common model on the road. In 2025 they passed 70.5% of initial MOT tests, 1.8 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific 208? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Peugeot 208 at the MOT
70.5% of 219,722 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the 208 344th of 575 models. Peugeot 208s aged 3 to 5 years passed 81.3% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 59.3%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Peugeot 208 tests in 2025.
Where 208s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Peugeot 208 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (7%), registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (5.2%) and headlamp not working on dipped beam (5.2%).
The MOT page lists every common 208 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The 208's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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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.24.8% of 208 failure items
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Noise, emissions and leaks
Listen for a blowing exhaust, watch for smoke on start-up and look under the car for oil or fluid leaks.14.4% of 208 failure items
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Body, chassis, structure
Look underneath and along the sills for corrosion, and check for damaged or poorly repaired panels.13% of 208 failure items
Peugeot 208s in the UK
265,394 were licensed at the end of June 2026, more than any other Peugeot. The number licensed has grown 219% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- +219%from 83,315 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2017half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2017 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 17,038against 30,357 in 2015
- Declared off the road
- 7,0592.6% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Peugeot 208s since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 83,315 |
| End of 2015 | 110,735 |
| End of 2016 | 137,576 |
| End of 2017 | 154,713 |
| End of 2018 | 170,048 |
| End of 2019 | 187,309 |
| End of 2020 | 197,301 |
| End of 2021 | 211,382 |
| End of 2022 | 226,264 |
| End of 2023 | 239,284 |
| End of 2024 | 250,680 |
| End of 2025 | 261,029 |
| End of June 2026 | 265,394 |
How old they are
Licensed Peugeot 208s by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13,700 | 17,038 |
| 2024 | 16,091 | 16,835 |
| 2023 | 16,233 | 17,047 |
| 2022 | 15,872 | 17,075 |
| 2021 | 13,968 | 14,953 |
| 2020 | 12,846 | 13,683 |
| 2019 | 16,874 | 18,090 |
| 2018 | 14,968 | 16,211 |
| 2017 | 16,780 | 18,650 |
| 2016 | 24,906 | 27,995 |
| 2015 | 26,309 | 30,357 |
| 2014 | 26,726 | |
| 2013 | 29,472 | |
| 2012 | 12,672 |
26,309 208s first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 87% of the 30,357 first registered that year.
208 engines and fuel
1.2 litre engines made up 68% of Peugeot 208 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.6 litre at 12%. Petrol accounts for 75% of licensed 208s and diesel for 14%. Electric examples were 5.4% of tests.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 219,720 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed 208s
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 198,442 | 75% |
| Diesel | 36,839 | 14% |
| Battery electric | 17,659 | 7% |
| Hybrid electric | 12,451 | 5% |
| Other fuels | 3 | <0.1% |
Peugeot 208 recalls
58 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Peugeot 208. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every 208 is affected.
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Jun 2026 R/2026/231
Peugeot 208 Horn sound volume
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicle have a horn volume which does not comply with regulatory requirements.
- Remedy
- Replace the horn with one of a higher volume.
-
May 2026 R/2026/206
Front lower control arm fasteningg Loose
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the front suspension lower control arm upper bolts may not have been tightened according to specification during assembly.
- Remedy
- Check the bolts for the correct torque and replace if necessary.
-
Apr 2026 R/2026/183
BCM software missing telltale if LKA unavailable
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the Lane Keep Assist tell-tale fails to illuminate if the front camera is blocked meaning no warning light appears in the instrument cluster.
- Remedy
- Update the Body Control Module software.
-
Mar 2026 R/2026/071
Alternator protection
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles may have been assembled with contact or with a reduced clearance between the Gasoline Particulate Filter pipe and the pole protection cap of the 48V Belt Starter Generator. There is a possibility of contact between these components leading to water infiltration and an electrical arch which could trigger a thermal event.
- Remedy
- Replace the pole protection cap of the 48V Belt Starter Generator. Check the distance between the Gasoline Particulate Filter pipe and the pole protection cap of the 48V Belt Starter Generator and re-position or replace the pipe if required.
-
Aug 2025 R/2025/344
Emission recall - On Board Diagnostics
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Vehicles may be affected by incorrect performance of the On-Board-Diagnostics related to Selective Catalytic Reduction system and/or Diesel Particle Filter. The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) may not illuminate in the event of a malfunction and therefore does not comply with emission regulations.
- Remedy
- Update the Engine Control Unit software to ensure compliance to regulations.
-
Jul 2025 R/2025/277
Peugeot Fuel Pipe
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles there may be loose connections between a high-pressure fuel pipe and the engine fuel rail which potentially could lead to a leak and risk of fire.
- Remedy
- Retighten the affected connections.
-
Jul 2025 R/2025/246
Peugeot DV5R Engines Camshaft Chain
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Vehicles may be affected by premature wearing of the camshaft drive chain leading to abnormal noise or to a breakage of the chain in the worst case.
- Remedy
- Update the software to improve oil pressure and reduce wear. Check the engine noise and replace the chain if required. If no problem found change the oil to one with higher viscosity and special anti-wear additives.
-
Jun 2025 R/2025/210
Autonomous Telematics Box
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the Autonomous Telematics Box (ATB) has no connectivity to the Connected Services features and therefore does not comply with regulatory requirements.
- Remedy
- Replace the ATB to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
208 vs similar cars
Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.
Other Peugeot models
The most-tested Peugeot models in 2025, against the 208's 70.5% MOT pass rate.
Peugeot 208 FAQs
How many Peugeot 208s are there in the UK?
265,394 Peugeot 208s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 7,059 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Peugeot 208 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 70.5% first-time pass rate for the Peugeot 208 across 219,722 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Peugeot 208 had any recalls?
58 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Peugeot 208. The most recent was published in June 2026. 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 208?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, noise, emissions and leaks and body, chassis, structure. 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 208'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 208?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,390 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 July 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.