Peugeot 206 years to avoid — 130,708 MOT tests ranked

Inspect most carefully: 2001, 2002, 2003. Strongest in the data: 2007. The ranking uses 130,708 MOT tests across 9 registration years (2023–2025) and compares each year with all UK cars of the same age. Fuel-type signal: diesels show an average 3.6-point pass-rate deficit on this model. That may reflect mileage and use as well as the car itself, so inspect DPF and emissions history rather than treating fuel type as a verdict.

Every 206 year, ranked

The age-adjusted MOT index sets 100 as the pass rate of all UK cars registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Higher is better. This prevents an old car being labelled a “bad year” simply because it is old.

RankYearIndexVs same-agePass rateTests
1 2007 Strong 100.4 +0.4 pts 65.5% 8,186
2 2005 98.5 -1.5 pts 63.0% 26,694
3 2006 98.4 -1.6 pts 62.8% 19,593
4 2008 98.3 -1.7 pts 63.5% 3,691
5 2004 97.9 -2.1 pts 62.2% 27,694
6 2009 95.7 -4.3 pts 62.1% 1,775
7 2003 Inspect 95.4 -4.6 pts 60.4% 19,681
8 2001 Inspect 93.8 -6.2 pts 60.3% 8,953
9 2002 Inspect 93.4 -6.6 pts 59.0% 14,441

Why 2001 and 2002 and 2003 rank lower

The 2003 cohort passes 60.4% of tests (-4.6 points versus same-age cars) at a median 82,677 miles, with lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment the leading failure system. The 2001 cohort passes 60.3% of tests (-6.2 points versus same-age cars) at a median 74,277 miles, with brakes the leading failure system. The 2002 cohort passes 59.0% of tests (-6.6 points versus same-age cars) at a median 81,852 miles, with lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment the leading failure system. This is population-level evidence, not a known-fault list: service history, engine version and the individual MOT record can outweigh the registration-year average.

How to use this before buying

  • Rankings describe the cohort, not the car. A cherished 2001 example beats a neglected 2007 one — always run the specific reg through the free MOT history check.
  • Read the advisories. Repeated notes for the same component across years mean the owner has been ignoring it. Decode them in our advisory library.
  • Fuel matters on this model. The diesel deficit (3.6 points) usually traces to DPF and emissions kit on low-mileage use — check for P2463-type soot codes on the test drive.
  • Scan before you pay. A 2-minute OBD scan reveals stored faults the dashboard hides — see our scanner guide.

FAQs

Which 206 years should I avoid?

Based on 130,708 MOT tests adjusted against cars of the same age, 2001, 2002, 2003 are the lower-scoring outliers. That is a prompt for closer inspection, not proof that every car from those years is bad.

What is the best 206 year to buy used?

2007 lead the age-adjusted MOT ranking. The score compares each registration year with all UK cars of the same age; the specific car's history and condition still take priority.

Is the 206 reliable overall?

Across 130,708 tests, the median age-adjusted index is 97.9 (100 equals the pass rate of all cars registered in the same year). Use the spread between years as one signal, then check the individual registration.

Methodology: index = 100 + the model-year cohort’s MOT pass-rate difference versus all UK vehicles registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded; at least 1,500 tests per page. “Inspect” years are below both the same-age baseline and the model’s median index by at least 2 points. Association is not proof of a model-year defect. DVSA anonymised data 2023–2025, OGL v3.0.