Peugeot 406, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
2,001 Peugeot 406s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 58.3% of initial MOT tests, 14 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific 406? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Peugeot 406 at the MOT
58.3% of 2,421 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the 406 509th of 575 models.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Where 406s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Peugeot 406 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were component mounting 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%).
The MOT page lists every common 406 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The 406'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.25.2% of 406 failure items
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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.19.7% of 406 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.19.4% of 406 failure items
Peugeot 406s in the UK
2,001 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 96% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- −96%from 50,097 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2002half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2002 or earlier
- Declared off the road
- 10,25784% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Peugeot 406s since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 50,097 |
| End of 2015 | 38,270 |
| End of 2016 | 28,509 |
| End of 2017 | 20,499 |
| End of 2018 | 14,643 |
| End of 2019 | 10,726 |
| End of 2020 | 7,969 |
| End of 2021 | 5,935 |
| End of 2022 | 4,635 |
| End of 2023 | 3,542 |
| End of 2024 | 2,810 |
| End of 2025 | 2,234 |
| End of June 2026 | 2,001 |
How old they are
Licensed Peugeot 406s by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 2,080 were first used before 2005.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 60 | 64 |
| 2023 | 1 | 4 |
| 2022 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 | 5 |
| 2018 | 0 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 | 3 |
| 2016 | 0 | 10 |
| 2015 | 0 | 4 |
| 2014 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 4 | |
| 2009 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 0 |
406 engines and fuel
2.0 litre engines made up 71% of Peugeot 406 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.9 litre at 9.2%. Diesel accounts for 68% of licensed 406s and petrol for 32%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 2,421 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed 406s
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 634 | 32% |
| Diesel | 1,367 | 68% |
Peugeot 406 recalls
12 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Peugeot 406. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every 406 is affected.
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Mar 2009 R/2009/022
Fuel may leak
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- It has been identified that a batch of high pressure fuel injection pumps supplied as spare parts may not have been manufactured to specification. As a result a fuel leak may occur.
- Remedy
- Recalled vehicles will have the subject fuel injection pumps changed.
-
Feb 2006 R/2006/041
Fuel may leak
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Due to a potential fault in the engine management system an internal engine fuel leak via the injectors may occur following switching off. This would result in the engine failing to restart due to excess fuel being present in the inlet manifold or cylinders.
- Remedy
- To address the issue recalled vehicles will receive an engine management download.
-
Sep 2003 R/2003/108
Possible incorrect wiring of side air bags and seat belt pretensioners
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- There is a possibility that the connections for the side airbags and seat belt pre-tensioners may have been inverted on the connectors for the airbag ECU. In the case of an impact there is a risk that the incorrect side airbag could be triggered.
- Remedy
- Check and if required change over the wires concerned in the airbag connector.
-
Aug 2003 R/2003/104
Incorrect wiring of lateral airbags and seat belt pretensioners
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- There is a possibility that the connections for the side airbags and seat belt pre-tensioners may have been inverted on the connectors for the airbag ECU. In the case of an impact there is a risk that the incorrect side airbag could be triggered.
- Remedy
- Recall affected vehicles and reverse the wires concerned in the Air Bag Connector
-
May 2003 R/2003/047
Water may enter cooling fan - risk of fire
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- There is a possibility that water may collect within the casing of the cooling fan and in a limited number of cases an under-bonnet fire.
- Remedy
- Fit a modified cooling fan assembly.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Aug 2001 R/2001/093
Brake servo vacuum pipe
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Brake servo vacuum pipe may become damaged due to chafing on engine wiring harness. This could result in a loss of braking assistance.
- Remedy
- Recall affected vehicles replace and reposition the servo vacuum pipe to avoid further chafing.
Other Peugeot models
The most-tested Peugeot models in 2025, against the 406's 58.3% MOT pass rate.
Peugeot 406 FAQs
How many Peugeot 406s are there in the UK?
2,001 Peugeot 406s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 10,257 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
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.
Has the Peugeot 406 had any recalls?
12 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Peugeot 406. The most recent was published in March 2009. 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 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 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 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.
Already found a 406?
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.