The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Peugeot 108 common problems

What fails on the Peugeot 108 at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 77,108 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Peugeot 108's most common MOT problems are tyres, parking brake, wiper blades and washers, recorded in 44.7%, 14.0% and 12.9% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2021 cars pass most often (89.8%) and 2014 cars least (74.5%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.

A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every Peugeot 108 that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 77,108 cars.

By component

What wears out on a 108

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Peugeot 108 tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.

  1. 1.Tyres

    44.7% of failed tests

    Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.

    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained14.7%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained8.8%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained8.5%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained7.4%

    Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last

  2. 2.Parking brake

    14.0% of failed tests

    Cables stretch and seize, rear shoes and adjusters wear; efficiency is measured on the roller tester against the vehicle's weight.

    • “Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement” — explained6.6%
    • “Parking brake inoperative on one side” — explained3.6%
    • “Parking brake lever has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment” — explained2.4%
    • “Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value” — explained1.4%

  3. 3.Wiper blades and washers

    12.9% of failed tests

    Rubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.

    • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained10.0%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained3.0%

    Across all cars, wiper blades and washers failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long wiper blades and washers last

  4. 4.Brake discs

    12.5% of failed tests

    Discs thin with each pad set and pit or corrode when lightly used; failure is for significant wear, fracture or insecurity, advisory for surface condition.

    • “Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn” — explained7.5%
    • “Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured” — explained2.5%
    • “Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution.” — explained2.4%

    Across all cars, brake discs failures climb 3-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long brake discs last

  5. 5.Brake pads and shoes

    12.2% of failed tests

    Friction material wears with use; the MOT limit is 1.5 mm and a pad that thin is close to metal on metal.

    • “a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm” — explained12.2%

    Across all cars, brake pads and shoes failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long brake pads and shoes last

  6. 6.Suspension bushes

    10.2% of failed tests

    Rubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.

    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained5.9%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained3.0%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained1.3%

    Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last

  7. 7.Brake callipers

    10.0% of failed tests

    Pistons and slider pins seize with corrosion and disuse, dragging a brake on or leaving one side weak; shows as imbalance on the roller tester.

    • “Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake” — explained6.8%
    • “Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake” — explained1.9%
    • “Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle.” — explained1.3%

  8. 8.Bulbs and lamps

    8.7% of failed tests

    Filament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.

    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained4.4%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained2.7%
    • “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained1.6%

    Across all cars, bulbs and lamps failures climb 15-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long bulbs and lamps last

By registration year

108 problems by year

MOT pass rate for Peugeot 108 cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. No single step here is large enough to point at a generation change.

201474%
201577%+2.9
201680%+3.0
201783%+2.5
201884%+0.8
201986%+2.2
202087%+0.9
202190%+2.9

Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.

Before it fails

What testers warn 108 owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Peugeot 108 tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the 108 file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Peugeot 108?
Going by what fails the MOT, tyres (recorded in 44.7% of failed tests), parking brake (recorded in 14.0% of failed tests), and wiper blades and washers (recorded in 12.9% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 77,108 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Peugeot 108 year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Peugeot 108 cars registered in 2021 do best at 89.8% and 2014 cars do worst at 74.5%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar.
Is the Peugeot 108 reliable?
Adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Peugeot 108 passes 78.6% of MOTs against a national 72.3%. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.
What should I check when buying a used Peugeot 108?
Start with what fails most: tyres, wiper blades and washers, brake discs. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.

Analysis built from DVSA data of