2003 Peugeot 206 MOT pass rate: 60.4% (19,681 tests)

2003-registered Peugeot 206s passed 60.4% of 19,681 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 4.6 points worse than same-age cars (65.0%). This is one of the lower-scoring 206 years after correcting for vehicle age — inspect the individual car carefully.

60.4%Pass rate, 2003 cars

95.4Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

19,681Tests analysed

82,677 miMedian mileage at test

60.8% / 58.9%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2003 206 getting worse?

Pass rate of 2003-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	60.3% -4.2 vs same-age
2024	59.4% -5.4 vs same-age
2025	62.0% -4.1 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2003 206

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	7,695	25.2%
2	Brakes	6,013	19.7%
3	Suspension	5,582	18.3%
4	Noise, emissions and leaks	3,012	9.9%
5	Body, chassis, structure	2,879	9.4%
6	Tyres	1,869	6.1%

All 206 years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2001	8,953	60.3%	-6.2 pts	74,277
2002	14,441	59.0%	-6.6 pts	81,852
2003 (this page)	19,681	60.4%	-4.6 pts	82,677
2004	27,694	62.2%	-2.1 pts	82,750
2005	26,694	63.0%	-1.5 pts	82,368
2006	19,593	62.8%	-1.6 pts	80,124
2007	8,186	65.5%	+0.4 pts	70,463
2008	3,691	63.5%	-1.7 pts	73,156
2009	1,775	62.1%	-4.3 pts	79,678

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Peugeot 206 years to avoid.

Buying a 2003 206? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2003 Peugeot 206 reliable?

2003-registered examples passed 60.4% of their MOT tests (19,681 tests, 2023–2025), -4.6 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 23 years old with a median 82,677 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2003 206?

The median tested example shows 82,677 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.