Peugeot 208 years to avoid — 526,863 MOT tests ranked

No clear negative outlier after correcting for age. Strongest in the data: 2015 or 2019. The ranking uses 526,863 MOT tests across 8 registration years (2023–2025) and compares each year with all UK cars of the same age.

Every 208 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 2019 Strong 99.1 -0.9 pts 87.5% 50,211
2 2015 Strong 98.9 -1.1 pts 77.7% 80,911
3 2016 98.0 -2.0 pts 79.4% 76,001
4 2018 97.1 -2.9 pts 83.4% 44,991
5 2017 96.6 -3.4 pts 80.6% 51,941
6 2014 96.2 -3.8 pts 72.0% 84,745
7 2012 95.6 -4.4 pts 66.9% 41,841
8 2013 95.4 -4.6 pts 68.8% 96,222

How to use this before buying

  • Rankings describe the cohort, not the car. A cherished older example beats a neglected 2015 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.
  • Scan before you pay. A 2-minute OBD scan reveals stored faults the dashboard hides — see our scanner guide.

FAQs

Which 208 years should I avoid?

No year is a clear negative outlier after correcting for age, so buy on condition and history rather than year.

What is the best 208 year to buy used?

2015 and 2019 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 208 reliable overall?

Across 526,863 tests, the median age-adjusted index is 96.8 (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.