Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 241,181 tests

Pass rate climbs 13.8 points across the cohorts — newer 308 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 214,494

Pass

70.0%

Fail

23.8%

PRS

5.6%

Avg mileage at test

89,193 mi

2018–2020 cohort 25,607

Pass

85.0%

Fail

11.3%

PRS

3.3%

Avg mileage at test

45,949 mi

2021+ cohort 1,080

Pass

83.8%

Fail

9.5%

PRS

6.1%

Avg mileage at test

47,085 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

Generations on file · 3

Peugeot 308 · UK market

Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.

The picture

Peugeot 308: mixed MOT record across 178,302 tests

The Peugeot 308 is a small family car produced by French automobile manufacturer Peugeot. It was unveiled in June 2007, and launched in September 2007 in hatchback form, which was followed by station wagon in March 2008, coupé cabriolet in February 2009, and a sedan version in February 2010.

MOT data from 178,302 tests puts this car on a 71.9% first-time pass rate, below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 80,343 miles. The most common fail item is failed number plate light, followed by fractured or weakened suspension spring.

The 308's pass rate warrants caution in the used market. Factor in likely first-test remedial work on the common failure items and get a pre-purchase inspection that covers the specific items this car trips on most.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 10–24

Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.

Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →

10–24

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

13,686 occurrences · 5.7% of tests
02

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

7,063 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
03

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

6,871 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
04

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

6,741 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
05

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

5,114 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
06

A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play

4,262 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
07

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

4,218 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
08

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

3,751 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
09

Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective

3,531 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
10

The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements

3,313 occurrences · 1.4% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures

£228–£530

If every one of this 308's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 15.0-point gap between bands means the year you buy Peugeot 308 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

85.0%

2018–2020 registration

the 2018–2020 band climbs to 85.0% — a 15.0-point improvement. Tests in this band average 45,949 miles — roughly 43K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.

Band to be cautious about

70.0%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 70.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 85.0% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, constant velocity boot split or insecure, no…, and fractured or broken. Average mileage on test for this band is 89,193 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (85.0% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (70.0% pass). That's a 15.0-point spread across 214,494 older tests and 25,607 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

Item 03 · Amazon UK

Brake pad measurement gauge

Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Hycote

Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Peugeot Black 12.5ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Hycote

Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Peugeot Cherry 12.5ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Hycote

Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Peugeot Diablo Red Pearlescent 12.5ml

£6.59

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Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Peugeot Indigo Blue 12.5ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

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Recall history

38 UK recalls on record.

The 308 has 38 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a 308?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a 308 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.