Peugeot 308 years to avoid — 386,551 MOT tests ranked

Inspect most carefully: 2007, 2009, 2013. Strongest in the data: 2019 or 2020. The ranking uses 386,551 MOT tests across 14 registration years (2023–2025) and compares each year with all UK cars of the same age. Fuel-type signal: diesels show an average 3.5-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 308 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.

Rank	Year	Index	Vs same-age	Pass rate	Tests
1	2020 Strong	100.3	+0.3 pts	90.2%	9,321
2	2019 Strong	99.0	-1.0 pts	87.4%	20,621
3	2011	96.7	-3.3 pts	65.9%	27,997
4	2018	96.2	-3.8 pts	82.5%	25,130
5	2015	96.0	-4.0 pts	74.7%	41,551
6	2017	95.6	-4.4 pts	79.6%	27,265
7	2012	95.5	-4.5 pts	66.7%	29,652
8	2016	94.6	-5.4 pts	75.9%	43,321
9	2010	94.5	-5.5 pts	61.9%	35,824
10	2014	94.0	-6.0 pts	69.9%	35,839
11	2008	92.9	-7.1 pts	58.0%	23,733
12	2009 Inspect	92.7	-7.3 pts	59.2%	33,154
13	2013 Inspect	92.6	-7.4 pts	65.9%	30,522
14	2007 Inspect	89.7	-10.3 pts	54.8%	2,621

Why 2007 and 2009 and 2013 rank lower

The 2009 cohort passes 59.2% of tests (-7.3 points versus same-age cars) at a median 98,853 miles, with lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment the leading failure system. The 2013 cohort passes 65.9% of tests (-7.4 points versus same-age cars) at a median 85,612 miles, with suspension the leading failure system. The 2007 cohort passes 54.8% of tests (-10.3 points versus same-age cars) at a median 102,797 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 2007 example beats a neglected 2019 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 (3.5 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 308 years should I avoid?

Based on 386,551 MOT tests adjusted against cars of the same age, 2007, 2009, 2013 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 308 year to buy used?

2019 and 2020 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 308 reliable overall?

Across 386,551 tests, the median age-adjusted index is 95.0 (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.