Peugeot 2008 2013: reliability & common MOT faults

In 2025, 58 in every 100 first MOTs on a 2013 Peugeot 2008 were passes. Most common reason for a fail: Drive shaft joints and boots (front).

Summary

The 2013 Peugeot 2008 follows the pattern of the model years either side.

At a glance

How 3,150 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time
58 in every 100
Did not pass first time
42 in every 1001,331 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car
12 yearsabout 81,501 miles
First tests counted
3,150

What failed most often

  1. Drive shaft joints and boots (front)29 in every 100 failed tests
  2. Petrol emissions (with catalyst)9 in every 100 failed tests
  3. Headlight (front)9 in every 100 failed tests

How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.

Note:

These are patterns across 2013 Peugeot 2008 vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. A wear pattern follows age and use more than the way the car was built. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.

Body and structure

Three faults. The strongest is the drive shaft joints and boots (front): 6.3 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 1,331 failed first attempts in 2025 that had a mileage recorded, which allows a like-for-like comparison.

We only list faults with at least 20 failures and a rate of about 2.0 times that of similar cars, which keeps one-off results out of the list.

Drive shaft joints and boots (front)

Failed on 382 first tests6.3 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

What it means

A constant velocity boot that is only severely deteriorated is Minor. It is Major once it is missing, split or insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt. A transmission joint excessively worn is Major, and graded Dangerous when it is so worn it is likely to fail.

Exhaust system (front)

Failed on 36 first tests3.1 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Exhaust fumes causing a danger to health of persons on board are graded Dangerous, and so is a silencer likely to become detached. Fumes entering the cabin are Major. One or more missing or defective mountings does not necessarily make the exhaust insecure, since testers assess the overall security of the system.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 57 first tests, 2.8 times as often as on similar cars.

Exhaust system (rear)

Failed on 67 first tests2.7 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Exhaust fumes causing a danger to health of persons on board are graded Dangerous, and so is a silencer likely to become detached. Fumes entering the cabin are Major. One or more missing or defective mountings does not necessarily make the exhaust insecure, since testers assess the overall security of the system.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 61 first tests, 2.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Noise, emissions and leaks

Two faults. The strongest is the petrol emissions (with catalyst): 3.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Petrol emissions (with catalyst)

Failed on 119 first tests3.0 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Emissions levels over the manufacturer's specified limits are Major, as are levels over default limits, which apply when no exact match is found for the vehicle. Dense blue or clearly visible black smoke at idle, held for a set period, is Major, except for certain older vehicles and two stroke engines where smoke is unavoidable. An induction or exhaust leak that could affect emissions levels is Major too.

Petrol emissions not tested

Failed on 35 first tests2.7 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

On a petrol car, an emissions test recorded as not tested or unable to be completed is failed as Major. DVSA's wording gives no reason why.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Brakes

One wear pattern: brake discs (rear), 3.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Brake discs (rear)

Failed on 51 first tests3.0 times as often as similar carsWear pattern

What it means

A brake disc or drum must be significantly worn before it is rejected, and being worn below the manufacturer's recommended limits is not a reason in itself. Significantly and obviously worn is Major, as is contamination with oil or grease. A disc or drum that is fractured, insecure, seriously weakened or missing is graded Dangerous.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 251 first tests, 2.7 times as often as on similar cars.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Suspension

One fault: anti-roll bar linkage ball joints (front), 2.4 times as often as on similar cars.

Anti-roll bar linkage ball joints (front)

Failed on 67 first tests2.4 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Excessive wear on an anti-roll bar linkage ball joint is Major. A joint likely to become detached is graded Dangerous.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 74 first tests, 4.1 times as often as on similar cars.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Lamps and electrical

Two faults. The strongest is the headlight (front): 2.3 times as often as on similar cars.

Headlight (front)

Failed on 118 first tests2.3 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

On vehicles first used on or after a set date, a halogen headlamp unit converted to take HID or LED bulbs fails for light source and lamp not compatible, which is Major. A complete unit built with those light sources is not failed for that. The precise position of the lamps is not part of the inspection beyond a visual look to see that they sit at about the same height and distance from each side.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 36 first tests, 6.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Number plate lights (rear)

Failed on 52 first tests2.0 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Registration plate lamps must light up the rear registration plate and operate at the same time as the position lamps. A missing or inoperative lamp is Major when the plate has only one lamp or all its lamps are not working, and Minor when the plate has several lamps or light sources and not all have failed. A lamp throwing direct white light to the rear is also Minor.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

MOT pass rates

How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.

Passed first time
58in every 100
Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station
7in every 100
Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed
35in every 100
Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 57.7% of 3,150 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 65.5%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 7 fixed and the 35 not fixed make the 42 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Petrol and diesel

First testsTypical mileagePassed first time, as testedPassed first time, same mileage
Diesel1,95987,875 miles5859
Petrol1,19172,646 miles5855

Figures are in every 100 first tests. Cars with more miles usually fail more often, so the same-mileage figure gives every fuel the mileage mix of all the cars in this year.

Same model, other years

Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.

40608010020132020Newer cars
40608010020132020Newer cars

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb. A year earlier (2024), when these cars were a year younger, 59 in every 100 passed first time.

YearPassed first timeFirst tests
2013 This car58 in every 1003,150
201460 in every 10014,409
201563 in every 10015,948
201667 in every 10017,152
201769 in every 10015,658
201874 in every 10015,278
201980 in every 10014,670
202086 in every 10011,124
202184 in every 10016,543
202290 in every 10013,942

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

Mileage matters most on a 2013 Peugeot 2008.

Of 2013 Peugeot 2008 vehicles with under 59,000 miles, 73 in every 100 passed their 2025 MOT first time. With 105,000 miles or more, 47 in every 100 did.

Under 59,000630 tests
73
59,000–74,000614 tests
59
74,000–88,000 Typical car635 tests
55
88,000–105,000632 tests
54
105,000 and over638 tests
47

Petrol or diesel?

Typical mileagePassed first time,
as tested
Passed first time,
same mileage
Diesel87,875 miles5859
Petrol72,646 miles5855

Figures are in every 100 first tests. At the same mileage there is no clear difference between the two.


What to check at your mileage

How often each fault turned up on a failed first test, by the car's mileage. Read it as: what is likely to need looking at on a car like the one in front of you.

Under 59,00074,000–88,000105,000 and over
Drive shaft joints and boots (front)9.012.113.2
Petrol emissions (with catalyst)2.16.12.5
Headlight (front)2.73.64.4
Headlight aim1.63.35.3
Suspension arm ball joint (front)0.34.16.9

Faults per 100 first tests, by the car's mileage at the test.


When a car fails

28in every 100

of failed cars had one item to fix.

45in every 100

of failed cars had three or more items to fix.

8in every 100

of all first tests had a defect the tester marked dangerous (unsafe to drive away).


Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line, for cars of this model year tested in 2025. Each mileage band holds a fifth of the tests. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

The 2013 Peugeot 2008 follows the pattern of the model years either side. Its main cause of failure was Drive shaft joints and boots (front), about 29 in every 100 failed tests. In 2025, 57.7% of 3,150 first MOTs on the 2013 Peugeot 2008 passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 65.5%. Among 1,331 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Drive shaft joints and boots (front) appears more often than on similar cars (28.7% of those tests; 382 observed failures; about 6.3× more often than similar cars). There is no single reliability score here; this is a pre-purchase checklist built from DVSA open data, not a guarantee for any individual car.
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that most often failed a 2013 Peugeot 2008 at the first attempt were Drive shaft joints and boots (front) (28.7%), Petrol emissions (with catalyst) (8.9%) and Headlight (front) (8.9%), each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong most often on the car. The common faults table shows a different measure: faults that are unusual compared with similar cars.
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Drive shaft joints and boots (front) (28.7% of those tests; 382 observed failures; about 6.3× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Drive shaft joints and boots (front) shows up more often than on similar cars (28.7% of those tests; 382 observed failures; about 6.3× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault. Age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase checkpoint, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2013 Peugeot 2008 include Drive shaft joints and boots (front), Exhaust system (front), Petrol emissions (with catalyst). These are the faults that stand out compared with similar cars, not a complete list of what can go wrong on any individual car.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2013 Peugeot 2008 (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics, not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars, not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics; this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces, but does not remove, differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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