Peugeot 306, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
2,718 Peugeot 306s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 61% of initial MOT tests, 11.3 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific 306? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Peugeot 306 at the MOT
61% of 3,419 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the 306 481st of 575 models.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Where 306s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Peugeot 306 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements (4.4%), wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.3%) and steering rack gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (3.1%).
The MOT page lists every common 306 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The 306's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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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.25.1% of 306 failure items
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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.18.3% of 306 failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.15.5% of 306 failure items
Peugeot 306s in the UK
2,718 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 96% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- −96%from 64,224 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2000half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2000 or earlier
- Declared off the road
- 16,15786% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Peugeot 306s since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 64,224 |
| End of 2015 | 46,649 |
| End of 2016 | 33,093 |
| End of 2017 | 22,783 |
| End of 2018 | 16,029 |
| End of 2019 | 11,576 |
| End of 2020 | 8,751 |
| End of 2021 | 6,613 |
| End of 2022 | 5,384 |
| End of 2023 | 4,241 |
| End of 2024 | 3,396 |
| End of 2025 | 2,829 |
| End of June 2026 | 2,718 |
How old they are
Licensed Peugeot 306s by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 2,745 were first used before 2004.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 4 | 4 |
| 2022 | 13 | 14 |
| 2021 | 0 | 17 |
| 2020 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 | 3 |
| 2016 | 2 | 9 |
| 2015 | 2 | 6 |
| 2014 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 2 | |
| 2012 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 0 |
306 engines and fuel
2.0 litre engines made up 41% of Peugeot 306 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.9 litre at 20%. Petrol accounts for 57% of licensed 306s and diesel for 43%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 3,419 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed 306s
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,556 | 57% |
| Diesel | 1,162 | 43% |
Peugeot 306 recalls
17 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Peugeot 306. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every 306 is affected.
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Apr 2002 R/2002/021
Possible reduction in braking assistance plus engine operating problems
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- In adverse wet weather conditions water may enter the engine management solenoid valve operating circuit. This could result in engine operating problems and a reduction in power assistance to the brake pedal if the water enters the brake vacuum circuit via the solenoid valves.
- Remedy
- Recall affected vehicles to examine and if necessary replace the engine management solenoid valves with ones sealed against the ingress of water.
-
Feb 2002 R/2002/006
Seat belt anchorage concern
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- There is a risk that the lower attachment on the front and rear left hand seat belts could be loose.
- Remedy
- Recall the affected vehicles to check and if necessary tighten the seat belt fixings.
-
Nov 2001 R/2001/144
The left hand front seat lower seat belt mounting bolt may detach
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- There is a possible risk of the lower seat belt mounting bolt on the front left hand seat being loose or misaligned.
- Remedy
- Recall affected vehicles check installation of bolt - if correctly installed check tightness of bolt if bolt is not located correctly replace with supplied bolt.
-
Oct 2001 R/2001/102
Failure of camshaft drive belt
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The camshaft drive belt may fail before the recommended replacement interval of 72000 miles. This could result in a complete loss of engine power without warning.
- Remedy
- Recall affected vehicles and fit a quality assured replacement camshaft drive belt.
-
Jan 2001 R/2000/152
Vacuum pump drive pin
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Brake vacuum pump drive pin may fail as a result of premature wear. This could result in a loss of power assistance at the brake pedal.
- Remedy
- Recall affected vehicles to fit a quality assured replacement drive pin to the brake vacuum pump.
-
Jan 2001 R/2000/151
Front seat belt pretensioner harness
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- There is a possibility of an open circuit in the connector on the front seat belt pretensioner harness. This may cause flashing of the airbag warning light and a loss of the pretensioning function in case of an accident.
- Remedy
- Replace the front seat pretensioner harness.
-
Jan 2001 R/2000/150
Driveshaft may detach from gearbox
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- An incorrect left hand drive shaft may have been fitted. The shaft could separate from the gearbox on a sharp bend or during excessive suspension deflection.
- Remedy
- Recall affected vehicles and fit a correct specification left hand drive shaft where necessary.
-
Oct 2000 R/2000/098
Front suspension may collapse
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- There is a possibility that the front stub axle on one or both sides of the vehicle may have been incorrectly machined. This could result in excessive wear the lower ball joint becoming displaced and the collapse of the suspension.
- Remedy
- Recall affected vehicles and check and if necessary replace both front stub axles.
Other Peugeot models
The most-tested Peugeot models in 2025, against the 306's 61% MOT pass rate.
Peugeot 306 FAQs
How many Peugeot 306s are there in the UK?
2,718 Peugeot 306s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 16,157 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Peugeot 306 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 61% first-time pass rate for the Peugeot 306 across 3,419 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Peugeot 306 had any recalls?
17 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Peugeot 306. The most recent was published in April 2002. 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 306?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: brakes, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 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 306'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 306?
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.