Is the Peugeot 508 reliable?

On MOT evidence the Peugeot 508 is above average. It passes 75.9% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 76% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Peugeot 508?

The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 21.3% of failed Peugeot 508 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Peugeot 508?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 32.4% of all Peugeot 508 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Peugeot 508 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 95,506 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Does a Peugeot 508 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 83.3% of Peugeot 508 tests pass. By 12 to 14 years, that falls to 63.3%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Peugeot 508 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Peugeot 508 cars tested, 82% are diesel, 9% are petrol, 6% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Peugeot 508 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 17,886 recorded MOT tests of the Peugeot 508, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Peugeot 508 passes 75.9% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is above average. Based on 17,886 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which appears in 21.3% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 95,506 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

75.9%national average72.3%unadjusted71.2%range covered76%

The 508 is 3.6 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is above average. The unadjusted figure is 71.2%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Peugeot 508 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements21.3%
909 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened16.4%
700 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
3.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm13.4%
573 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
4.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc10.4%
444 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn9.2%
395 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.A tyre cords visible or damaged9.0%
385 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
7.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen8.3%
355 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements6.7%
287 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
9.A tyre seriously damaged6.6%
281 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
10.A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps6.5%
280 occurrencesLamp not working explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Peugeot 508 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements32.4%
5,795 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured17.8%
3,190 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm13.4%
2,395 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged8.5%
1,519 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn6.5%
1,167 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users6.3%
1,135 tests
7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn5.5%
992 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
8.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn4.5%
798 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs83%

6–8 yrs79%

9–11 yrs71%

12–14 yrs63%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The 508 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 95,506
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel82.4%
Petrol9.0%
Hybrid6.3%
Diesel hybrid2.2%

Trim names grouped into this model (30)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

508 ACTIVE PREM BHDI S/S A
508 ACTIVE PREM SW BHDI S/S A
508 ACTIVE PREM SW P-TECH SS A
508 ACTIVE PREMIUM P-TECH SS A
508 ALLURE ED SW S/S PHEV A
508 ALLURE EDITION S/S PHEV A
508 ALLURE PREM BHDI S/S A
508 ALLURE PREM SW BHDI S/S A
508 ALLURE PREM SW P-TECH SS A
508 ALLURE PREM SW S/S PHEV A
508 ALLURE PREMIUM P-TECH SS A
508 ALLURE PREMIUM S/S PHEV A
508 ALLURE S/S PHEV AUTO
508 ALLURE SW S/S PHEV AUTO
508 GT BLUE HDI S/S AUTO
508 GT BLUEHDI S/S AUTO
508 GT LINE ED SW S/S PHEV A
508 GT LINE EDITION S/S PHEV A
508 GT LINE S/S PHEV AUTO
508 GT LINE SW S/S PHEV AUTO
508 GT PREMIUM BLUEHDI S/S A
508 GT PREMIUM PURETECH S/S A
508 GT PREMIUM S/S PHEV AUTO
508 GT PREMIUM SW BHDI S/S A
508 GT PREMIUM SW P-TECH S/S A
508 GT PREMIUM SW S/S PHEV A
508 GT S/S PHEV AUTO
508 GT SW BLUEHDI S/S AUTO
508 GT SW S/S PHEV AUTO
508 HDI

Check a specific Peugeot 508

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Peugeot models

Peugeot 208 — 68.4% adjusted
Peugeot Partner — 65.1% adjusted
Peugeot 2008 — 69.0% adjusted
Peugeot 3008 — 65.6% adjusted
Peugeot 308 — 67.5% adjusted
Peugeot 207 — 50.2% unadjusted
All Peugeot models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

BMW X4 — 84.7% adjusted, ranked 20
Volkswagen Caravelle — 72.4% adjusted, ranked 141
Skoda Roomster — 63.8% adjusted, ranked 232
BMW 7 Series — 85.6% adjusted, ranked 17

Common questions

Is the Peugeot 508 reliable?: On MOT evidence the Peugeot 508 is above average. It passes 75.9% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 76% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Peugeot 508?: The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 21.3% of failed Peugeot 508 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Peugeot 508?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 32.4% of all Peugeot 508 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Peugeot 508 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 95,506 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Does a Peugeot 508 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 83.3% of Peugeot 508 tests pass. By 12 to 14 years, that falls to 63.3%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Peugeot 508 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Peugeot 508 cars tested, 82% are diesel, 9% are petrol, 6% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.