58.3%
Peugeot 406 pass rate
Used Peugeot 406 buying guide
In 2025, Peugeot 406 cars passed 58.3% of 2,421 initial MOT tests, 14 points below the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific 406? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Peugeot 406 MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
−14
percentage points below average
Ranked on pass rate the 406 sits 509th of 575 models in the data. Peugeot as a brand averaged 66.8%, so this model runs 8.5 points behind its own brand.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Peugeot 406 MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the 406 compares with similar cars.
406 fuel types
Diesel made up 65.8% of Peugeot 406 MOT tests in 2025, against 39.3% across all models in this data. Most used examples you look at will be diesels.
Where the 406 fails its MOT
Where Peugeot 406 cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (5.9%), headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.8%) and wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.5%). See every common 406 MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Peugeot 406 that failed, not a claim that every 406 has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used 406?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
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. 25.2% of 406 failure items.
2
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. 19.7% of 406 failure items.
3
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 19.4% of 406 failure items.
4
Body, chassis, structure
Look underneath and along the sills for corrosion, and check for damaged or poorly repaired panels. 12.1% of 406 failure items.
5
Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly. 6.2% of 406 failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Peugeot 406 failures cluster around lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and brakes tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact 406 you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the Peugeot history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used Peugeot models
The most-tested Peugeot models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the 406.
Used Peugeot 406 FAQs
Is the Peugeot 406 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 58.3% first-time pass rate for the Peugeot 406 across 2,421 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
What should I check before buying a used Peugeot 406?
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 history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a Peugeot 406'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.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.