Model Reports 4 min read Updated 18 Oct 2026

Peugeot Boxer 2003: reliability & common MOT faults

In 2025, 65 in every 100 first MOTs on a 2003 Peugeot Boxer were passes. Most common reason for a fail: Suspension mounting area (front).

Summary

A 2003 Peugeot Boxer passed first time about 5 in every 100 more often than the average of the 2002 and 2004 model years.

At a glance

How 1,819 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time
65 in every 100
Did not pass first time
35 in every 100639 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car
22 yearsabout 53,914 miles
First tests counted
1,819

What failed most often

  1. Suspension mounting area (front)18 in every 100 failed tests
  2. Chassis condition (front)8 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 2003 Peugeot Boxer vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.

Suspension

Four faults. The strongest is the suspension sub-frame mounting area (front): 15 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 636 of 639 failed first attempts (99.5%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025. Mileage is needed to compare like with like.

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.

Suspension sub-frame mounting area (front)

Failed on 42 first tests15 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Structure around a sub-frame mounting that is so weakened that control of the vehicle is likely to be adversely affected is graded Dangerous, whether it is damaged, fractured, corroded or inadequately repaired. It is Major when strength is significantly reduced by excessive corrosion, damage or a fracture, or when it is inadequately repaired.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 34 first tests, 7.1 times as often as on similar cars.

Suspension mounting area (front)

Failed on 116 first tests11 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

What it means

The load bearing structure within a set distance of a sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting is a prescribed area. Major applies when its strength or continuity is significantly reduced or it is inadequately repaired. Dangerous applies when it is so weakened that control of the vehicle is likely to be adversely affected.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 50 first tests, 7.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Wheel bearings (front)

Failed on 31 first tests4.4 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Excessive play in a wheel bearing, or a bearing that is excessively rough, is Major. Play so excessive that the bearing is likely to break up or directional control is impaired is Dangerous, and so is a bearing so rough that it is likely to overheat or break up.

Shock absorbers (front)

Failed on 33 first tests4.1 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Slight seepage that leaves a film of fluid on a shock absorber does not fail it. Severe leakage, or damage so that it does not function, is Major. A shock absorber missing or likely to become detached is graded Dangerous, though a missing one is only rejected if shock absorbers were fitted as standard.

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 outline marker light (rear): 15 times as often as on similar cars.

Outline marker light (rear)

Failed on 25 first tests15 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

End-outline marker lamps are inspected only on vehicles first used after a set date that are wider than a set width, excluding side mirrors. White lamps must be visible from the front and red from the rear, and a lamp showing red light to the front or white light to the rear is Major. A lamp that does not light up with the position lamps is also Major.

Horn

Failed on 33 first tests3.1 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A horn that does not work, or is likely to be confused with an emergency vehicle siren, is graded Major. Gongs, bells, sirens and anything with more than one tone, which includes a horn that alternates between its notes, are not allowed, except a gong, bell or siren on vehicles first used before a set date. Sound defects are Minor for named cases such as a bell or harsh sound, and Major under a general row.

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

Body and structure

Two faults. The strongest is the vehicle structure condition (front): 9.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Vehicle structure condition (front)

Failed on 43 first tests9.6 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Structure that is fractured, deformed, corroded, modified or inadequately repaired is failed on rigidity only if the overall structural rigidity of the vehicle is significantly reduced. Structure that is likely to affect steering or braking adversely is graded Dangerous. Prescribed areas are not covered here, as they are checked under other sections, including brakes and steering.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 37 first tests, 9.2 times as often as on similar cars.

Chassis condition (front)

Failed on 52 first tests8.6 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A main load-bearing structural member that is fractured, deformed, modified or inadequately repaired is Major when structural rigidity is significantly reduced, and Dangerous where steering or braking is likely to be adversely affected. Corrosion of the body, cab or chassis at a mounting point is Dangerous where overall security or stability is impaired.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 32 first tests, 6.4 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.

Seat belts and restraints

One fault: seat belt mounting area (front), 6.3 times as often as on similar cars.

Seat belt mounting area (front)

Failed on 23 first tests6.3 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A seat belt anchorage likely to become detached in the event of a collision is graded Dangerous. The load bearing structure near an anchorage, called a prescribed area, is Major when its strength or continuity is significantly reduced or it is inadequately repaired. Anchorage points are inspected for all seat belts fitted, except a belt with no corresponding seat.

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

Brakes

One fault: brake performance (roller test, front), 2.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Brake performance (roller test, front)

Failed on 38 first tests2.6 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A wheel with no recorded braking effort on the roller test is graded Dangerous. Inadequate effort, a brake grabbing severely, abnormal lag and excessive fluctuation in effort are each Major. So is significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied, which indicates a binding brake.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 39 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.

Advisories

Other things testers noted as worn or close to failing, more often than on similar cars.

An advisory is a note from the tester about something that has not failed yet. It is an early warning, not a fail. Advisories for the faults above are shown with those faults.

Power steering pipes and hoses

Noted on 53 first tests7.2 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Individual direction indicators (front)

Noted on 26 first tests2.9 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Counts cover advisories recorded on failed first tests only, compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

MOT pass rates

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

Passed first time
65in every 100
Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station
5in every 100
Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed
30in every 100
Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 64.9% of 1,819 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 70.1%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 5 fixed and the 30 not fixed make the 35 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Same model, other years

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

406080100199520002003201020152020Older carsNewer cars
4060801002000200320102020Newer 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, 64 in every 100 passed first time.

YearPassed first timeFirst tests
199551 in every 100709
199652 in every 100635
199755 in every 100851
199854 in every 1001,014
199957 in every 1001,094
200058 in every 1001,178
200157 in every 1001,121
200258 in every 1001,393
2003 This car65 in every 1001,819
200462 in every 1002,181
200563 in every 1002,240
200666 in every 1002,399
200770 in every 1002,199
200872 in every 1002,081
200972 in every 1001,691
201079 in every 1001,896
201177 in every 1002,018
201276 in every 1002,168
201377 in every 1002,328
201475 in every 1002,572
201577 in every 1002,996
201678 in every 1003,149
201779 in every 1003,057
201881 in every 1002,142
201982 in every 1002,009
202084 in every 1001,593
202181 in every 1001,776
202287 in every 100800

FAQs

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

A 2003 Peugeot Boxer passed first time about 5 in every 100 more often than the average of the 2002 and 2004 model years. In 2025, 64.9% of 1,819 first MOTs on the 2003 Peugeot Boxer passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 70.1%. Among 639 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Suspension mounting area (front) appears more often than on similar cars (18.2% of those tests; 116 observed failures; about 11× 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 2003 Peugeot Boxer at the first attempt were Suspension mounting area (front) (18.2%) and Chassis condition (front) (8.2%), 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: Suspension mounting area (front) (18.2% of those tests; 116 observed failures; about 11× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Suspension mounting area (front) shows up more often than on similar cars (18.2% of those tests; 116 observed failures; about 11× 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 2003 Peugeot Boxer include Suspension mounting area (front), Suspension sub-frame mounting area (front), Outline marker light (rear). These are the faults that stand out compared with similar cars, not a complete list of what can go wrong on any individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2003 Peugeot Boxer (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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