Is the Peugeot 208 reliable?

The Peugeot 208 scores 75/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 37% of the cars we track. That is computed from 2,167,558 real DVSA MOT test results.

How much does a used Peugeot 208 cost?

A 2023 Peugeot 208 with around 21,918 miles is worth roughly £11,200 today (typical range £10,100–£12,250). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.

How quickly does the Peugeot 208 depreciate?

A new Peugeot 208 typically loses about 43% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.

What insurance group is the Peugeot 208?

The Peugeot 208 sits in insurance group 15 of 50 — the cheaper end of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.

What goes wrong on a used Peugeot 208?

The most common age-related issues we track for the Peugeot 208 are: emissions (typically around 60k-100k miles, £150-£800 to put right); tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right); suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.

What does the Peugeot 208 cost to run?

Expect around 53 mpg combined on the 1.2 PureTech 100 mHEV Allure, £200 a year in road tax, about £185 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.

Is the Peugeot 208 ULEZ compliant?

Most petrol Peugeot 208s from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the Euro standards for London ULEZ and other UK clean-air zones, so they are generally exempt from the daily charge. Pure-electric versions are always exempt.

How many Peugeot 208s are on UK roads?

About 263,539 Peugeot 208s are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Ranked #31 car in the UK · Hatchback · 15,871 units sold last year

Peugeot 208

The Peugeot 208 is one of the most stylish superminis on sale, with a striking i-Cockpit cabin (small wheel, high dials) that lifts it above the mainstream. Offered as 1.2 PureTech petrol and the e-208 electric. Cross-shop the Vauxhall Corsa (sister car), Renault Clio, VW Polo and Ford Fiesta.

How these figures are sourced — the valuation is anchored to a researched used-market price for this model (AutoTrader median, 2023 at 30k miles). Reliability, mileage and variant data are real DVSA MOT records. Dimensions, tyre sizes and costs, servicing figures and the insurance group are segment-level estimates rather than sourced per car, and are being replaced model by model.

Body: Hatchback
Years: 2018–2026
Fuel: Petrol / Diesel / Mild Hybrid / Electric
Economy: 53 mpg
Insurance: Group 15

The short version

42/100

Forecourt score

Value 41 · Reliability 43 · catalogue percentiles

The Peugeot 208 holds its value about averagely and is cheaper to run than most. Its MOT-based reliability is good — an MOT score of 75/100, ahead of 37% of the cars we track. On three-year value retention it ranks better than 41% of models.

The Forecourt score blends how this car ranks against the catalogue on value retention, reliability and insurance cost (weighted 40/40/20) — the from-new ownership picture. Higher is better; running cost is not yet folded in.

Eligible for £1,500 off — UK Electric Car GrantBand 2

Applies to the e-208 (electric). Applied at point of sale — no application needed. Details on gov.uk.

Pick your version

Fuel

Mild Hybrid · 1199cc

Power

100 ps

Drivetrain

FWD

Cam drive

Wet belt

Quoted MPG

53 mpg

The volume 208. 1.2L 3-cyl turbo with 48V mHEV (added 2023), 100 PS, 6-speed manual or 8-speed auto. Allure adds 16-inch alloys, 10-inch screen, rear parking sensors, climate. Sharp styling, decent drive.

Tell us about the one you're looking at

Year of registration2023

20182026

Mileage on the clock21,918 mi

0Expected: 21,918180k

Conditiongood

PoorFairGoodExcellent

Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical car.

Region

Remembered as you browse other cars.

Know the registration?

Optional — fills in the exact year and ULEZ status for your specific car. The registration isn’t stored.

Estimated market value

£11,200

Range £9,400 – £13,100

medium confidence

When new (2023)circa £22,000Age-based value£12,756Mileage adjustment+£0Condition & region-£5Market calibration-£801Forecourt price£11,950Private sale£10,400Part-exchange£9,150

Holdthis 3-year-old

Fair value — depreciation is moderating.

At 21,918 miles it’s about the ~23,729 typical for a 3-year-old.

Seen one for sale?

A data-led guide from the depreciation curve, UK parc trend and reliability — not financial advice.

The depreciation curve

How a 2023-registration Peugeot 208 loses value over time.

Marker = your selection
Dashed = mileage either side

What it costs to own

Over

Based on the 2023 car with 21,918 miles you entered above — worth about £11,200 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 7,306 miles a year.

5-year total

£13,031

Per year

£2,606

All-in per mile

£0.36

Fuel per mile

13.2p

If a company carAround £200/mo Benefit-in-Kind tax at the 40% rate (£100/mo at 20%) — 25% band

Depreciation£2,423

Fuel / energy£4,828

Servicing£1,765

Road tax£1,000

Insurance£3,015

If you're a company-car driver

At 25% BIK, a 40% taxpayer would pay about £200/month in company-car tax (£100/month at 20%) — on top of the running costs above. Full BIK table below for context.

Best age to buy — around 2 years

A 2-year-old example loses roughly £1,650 a year — 73% less than the £6,150 a one-year-old sheds. The steepest drop is behind it.

Uses current UK pump and home-charging prices (DESNZ weekly), typical-driver insurance and manufacturer service intervals. "Fuel per mile" is just the energy input — so an EV at ~9p and a diesel at ~22p make running-cost comparison direct. A guide; your own costs will vary.

How it compares

Where this car ranks against the 340 vehicles in our index — higher is better.

Holds its valuebetter than 41%

Reliabilitybetter than 43%

Fuel economybetter than 91%

Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.

Petrol, diesel, hybrid or EV?

How the available versions compare on price, running cost, and the headaches each tends to develop.

1.2 PureTech 100 mHEV

Sharp-looking supermini with a serious engineering caveat. The 1.2 PureTech wet-belt issue has caused widespread early failures — check the service history on used examples for any pre-2024 model. Otherwise pleasant to drive, cheap to run. The styling is the main draw.

New price: circa £22,000
Annual fuel / energy: £1,500
3-yr depreciation: 47%

Watch for

·🔔 1.2 PureTech 'wet belt' timing belt is a known issue — pre-2024 service interval was too long, some belts failed before 50k miles. Stellantis reduced interval; check service history obsessively. Cambelt failure = engine destroyed
·Touchscreen freezes occasional
·Some interior plastics cheap-feeling

Fuel/energy costs based on this week’s UK averages (w/c 03/08/2026) · Petrol 159.9p/L, Diesel 179.2p/L, Electricity 27.0p/kWh · DESNZ

Estimated insurance

Group 15 of 50 (low — cheaper end of the scale) · Comprehensive · 3 years NCB

Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this car, by driver age band and risk profile. Pick the combination closest to your circumstances.

No-claims bonus3 years

0 yearsBaseline: 3 years15+

Risk profile:

Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39

£603/ year

Roughly £50 per month

Typical

Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.

Age band	Lower risk	Typical	Higher risk
Age 17-25	£1,375	£1,719	£2,234
Age 26-32	£718	£844	£1,030
Age 33-39Selected	£531	£603	£712
Age 40-49	£450	£500	£581
Age 50+	£402	£446	£527

How we estimate this

Indicative annual comprehensive premium estimates. The 'Typical' figure represents an average UK driver in each age band; Lower and Higher risk show the realistic spread driven by factors UK insurers legitimately price on (postcode, occupation, claims history, NCB, voluntary excess, modifications). Based on 10,000 miles/yr, £250 voluntary excess, and the no-claims bonus selected above. Always get individual quotes before buying.

Expected annual costs

Adjust the annual mileage to match how you'll actually use the car. Insurance is what you selected above (age 33-39, typical risk, 3 yrs NCB).

Annual mileage7,306 mi/yr

2,000UK avg for this model: 7,30630,000

Routine service

£185

Annual main-dealer service

Major service

£210

Every 2 years, annualised

Road tax

£200

Standard rate, post year-one

Fuel

£493

53 mpg, £1.60/L

Insurance

£603

Age 33-39, group 15

Clean-air zones

✓ ULEZ compliant

Mild Hybrid variants are compliant with London ULEZ and all UK clean-air zones.

Based on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.

Total expected£1,691 / year

Excludes depreciation and unscheduled repairs (see next section).

Unexpected costs

What out-of-warranty repairs typically run, by mileage band. Your selected mileage is highlighted.

0-30k miles

£80

per year · low risk

30-60k miles

£240

per year · low risk

60-100k miles

£520

per year · medium risk

100k+ miles

£900

per year · high risk

Tyres

195/65 R15 · 205/55 R16 · 215/45 R17

What a full set of four will cost you (including fit and balance), and which brand each tier of buyer should pick. A typical set lasts about 24,000 miles.

Budget

£300

set of 4, fitted · £60 per tyre

Mid-range

£440

set of 4, fitted · £95 per tyre

Premium

£620

set of 4, fitted · £140 per tyre

What to fit

Optional extras worth paying for

Factory options ranked by how much of their original cost they recover at resale. Anything above 70% return tends to make money back; below 40% is paying for your own enjoyment.

Option	New cost	Added used value	Return
Tow bar (factory-fit) Niche, but the buyers who want one will pay for it.	£650	£450	69%
Parking sensors & reversing camera Near-expected now — its absence costs more than its presence returns.	£500	£300	60%
Heated seats / cold-weather pack	£450	£200	44%
Metallic or premium paint Almost universal — an unusual colour is the bigger resale risk.	£600	£200	33%
Panoramic / opening roof	£1,100	£350	32%
Larger alloy wheels	£700	£200	29%

Parts most likely to fail

Drawn from owner reports and warranty data. Filtered for relevance to 21,918 miles.

Watch now

Failure typically happens around your current mileage.

Upcoming

A known weak point — but you haven't reached its usual mileage yet.

Already due

Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.

EmissionsUpcoming

Typical at 60k-100k milesCost £150-£800medium severityParts high

Recorded in 7.6% of MOT tests 60k-100k miles — from 2,103,519 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Tyres & wheelsUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £80-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 6.4% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 2,103,519 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

SuspensionUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£450medium severityParts high

Recorded in 9.3% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 2,103,519 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

BrakesUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 6.0% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 2,103,519 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Lighting & signallingUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £15-£120low severityParts high

Recorded in 5.9% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 2,103,519 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Driver's viewUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £60-£300low severityParts high

Recorded in 2.6% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 2,103,519 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

"Parts low/medium/high" indicates how easy the replacement part is to source — discontinued or specialist parts mean longer workshop time and bigger bills.

Safety rating

Euro NCAP's independent crash-test rating for the Peugeot 208, from its 2019 assessment.

4/5

TEST YEAR2019

Rating lapsed after 2025 · protocol superseded

The passenger compartment of the 208 remained stable in the frontal offset test.

Independent crash-test data from Euro NCAP. Star ratings reflect the test protocol of the year shown — newer protocols are stricter, so a 5-star from 2024 represents a higher bar than a 5-star from 2014. Euro NCAP ratings run for six years from publication; a lapsed rating means the protocol has moved on, not that the car performs any worse than it did on test.

MOT outlook

How this model fares at its MOT as it ages — from 2,167,558 real DVSA test records.

MOT pass rate by age

89.7% at 3yr → 57.9% at 15yr

A 3-year-old 208 passes its MOT 89.7% of the time; by 15 years that has slipped to 57.9%. The y-axis is zoomed to this model’s range so the trend is readable.

Longevity

95%of 8-year-old examples are still taxed and on the road — a useful read on how well the model lasts.

From 16,213 vehicles registered in 2018.

Survival by registration year

95% of 2018 cars still on the road

Each point is one registration cohort. Older cars on the left, newer on the right. A flatter line means the model holds up over time; a steep drop means cohorts disappear from UK roads faster.

What’s on the road

The fuel-type split of every 208 with MOT history in the DVSA record. From 306,829 vehicles tested at least once - not the number on the road today, which is lower.

Petrol 72.8%
Diesel 15.6%
Electric 6.3%
Hybrid 4.3%
Other 1.0%

What fails at the first MOT

The defect categories a 208 registered 2020–2023 fails on at its first MOT, from 56,487 first tests. Every car here is the same age and the same generation, so these are the faults that show up first - not the wear a high-mileage older example collects.

Tyres & wheels3.8%
Driver's view2.4%
Brakes1.2%
Suspension1.1%
Lighting & signalling0.4%
Emissions0.1%

Share of first MOT tests recording at least one defect in that category. DVSA test-item categories, not parts: “Driver’s view” covers mirrors, wipers and glass.

Typical mileage by age

The average odometer reading for a 208 at MOT, by age — measured from the same DVSA records, not assumed. A useful yardstick for whether a given car has done more or fewer miles than its age suggests.

3 yr23,729
4 yr30,691
5 yr37,610
6 yr44,078
7 yr50,318
8 yr56,616
9 yr62,616
10 yr68,163
11 yr73,509
12 yr78,607
13 yr83,126
14 yr87,553

Mean recorded mileage at MOT by vehicle age, from DVSA test records. Ages below three are not shown: the first MOT is due at three years, so the few cars tested earlier are a self-selected minority rather than a representative sample. Ages with at least 10 tests shown.

Reliability

75/ 100

Good

First-MOT pass rate and defect rate for cars registered 2020 onward (56,487 first tests), with cohort survival — high confidence.

MOT outlook · age 5 years

84%first-time pass rate

37th percentile — Below catalogue average

Based on 256,236 MOT tests · ranked against 248 catalogue models with comparable data

Where this car sits in the catalogue

Pass-rate distribution across 248 catalogue models

Things owners say

01The 1.2 PureTech petrol uses a wet belt with a patchy reliability record - insist on up-to-date belt and oil service history.
02The i-Cockpit's small wheel and high dials don't suit everyone - test the driving position before buying.
03The e-208 shares mechanicals with the Corsa Electric; real-world range is modest - good for town and commuting.

Safety recalls

Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Peugeot 208, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.

Check on GOV.UK

Opens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.

Theft risk

A general indicator from UK 2025 theft data and this car’s characteristics — not a prediction for any one vehicle.

Whole-car theft

Around average

Theft risk is around the UK average. Like most modern cars it has keyless entry, so relay theft is the method to guard against.

Parts theft

Higher

Hybrid versions are a catalytic-converter target — a hybrid cat is rich in precious metals and can be cut out in about a minute.

Worth doing

Keep keys in a Faraday pouch and away from the front door to block relay attacks.
A catalytic-converter guard or forensic marking makes a hybrid far less appealing to cut.

Clean-air zones

Whether driving a Peugeot 208 into a UK clean-air zone will cost you anything. Rules use the same Euro standard across most zones — petrol from 2006 and diesel from 2015 onwards are exempt; pure electric is always exempt.

Charging zones for cars

City	Area	Daily charge	Likely outcome
London	All of Greater London (within the M25)	£12.50	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
Birmingham	Inside the A4540 Middleway	£8.00	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
Bristol	City centre and part of the Portway	£9.00	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
Glasgow	City centre	—	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
Edinburgh	City centre	—	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
Aberdeen	City centre	—	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
Dundee	City centre	—	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.

Zones that don't charge private cars

Bath — City centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
Bradford — Outer ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
Sheffield — Inside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
Newcastle & Gateshead — City centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
Portsmouth — Part of the city centre (Applies to taxis, PHVs, buses, coaches and HGVs only).

Model-level guidance only. To check a specific registration, use the official gov.uk clean-air zone checker. Zone charges and boundaries are set by local councils and change over time.

Company car tax

What HMRC's Benefit-in-Kind charge looks like if you ran this Peugeot 208 as a company car, by tax year and income-tax band. Calculated from a CO₂ of 95 g/km, using £24,000 as the P11D value.

Tax year	BIK %	Tax @ 20%	Tax @ 40%	Monthly @ 20%	Monthly @ 40%
2025-26	24%	£1,152	£2,304	£96	£192
2026-27	25%	£1,200	£2,400	£100	£200
2027-28	26%	£1,248	£2,496	£104	£208
2028-29	26%	£1,248	£2,496	£104	£208
2029-30	26%	£1,248	£2,496	£104	£208

P11D value is approximated from the latest new price; the exact figure on your tax code will depend on options fitted. The 4% diesel surcharge applies only to non-RDE2 (pre-2021) diesels — we assume RDE2 compliance for current models. Bands and rates from HMRC's Autumn Budget 2024 confirmation through 2029/30.

Servicing & the dealer network

How well-supported Peugeot is across the UK — a practical read on how easy servicing, parts and warranty work will be to find.

Franchised UK dealers

~165

Large network

Mass-market

Network size relative to the UK's largest (Peugeot is 3.7% of all franchised outlets)

Servicing, parts and warranty work are easy to find UK-wide, and most independent garages know the brand well — which keeps maintenance competitive.

For context, the UK has roughly 4,500 franchised car-dealer outlets in total, plus about 15,500 independent garages.

Approximate figures, curated from public UK industry sources (NFDA, Car Dealer Magazine). Franchised networks shrink year on year — these indicate network size, not an exact count.

Dimensions & weight

These are segment estimates, not manufacturer figures. 296 of 325 catalogued cars share one of 14 identical dimension sets, so they describe a class rather than this particular car. Sourced figures replace them model by model.

Length

4,300 mm

Width

1,790 mm

Height

1,460 mm

Kerb weight

1,350 kg

Boot

380–1,250 L

Fuel tank

48 L

How many are still out there

How the UK Peugeot 208 fleet splits: taxed and on the road, parked off the road on a SORN, and gone from the register where that figure is available.

Currently registered

270,004

Currently taxed & on road

263,539

98% of all registered

SORN (off road)

6,465

2% of all registered

Scrapped or exported

n/a

not in this DfT extract

UK fleet trend — 2014 to 2025

+4.9% vs 2024

83,315263,539

Source: DfT VEH0124 vehicle licensing statistics (year-end 2025) · Updated 29 Jul 2026

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Same underpinnings

Built on the Stellantis CMP / e-CMP platform

Multi-energy small-car platform supporting petrol, diesel and electric powertrains. Used across PSA/Stellantis B-segment cars. Different badges, often substantially different residuals, but broadly the same mechanicals and repair cost profile.

Common Modular Platform · Stellantis

Common questions

Peugeot 208, answered from the data

Is the Peugeot 208 reliable?: The Peugeot 208 scores 75/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 37% of the cars we track. That is computed from 2,167,558 real DVSA MOT test results.
How much does a used Peugeot 208 cost?: A 2023 Peugeot 208 with around 21,918 miles is worth roughly £11,200 today (typical range £10,100–£12,250). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.
How quickly does the Peugeot 208 depreciate?: A new Peugeot 208 typically loses about 43% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.
What insurance group is the Peugeot 208?: The Peugeot 208 sits in insurance group 15 of 50 — the cheaper end of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.
What goes wrong on a used Peugeot 208?: The most common age-related issues we track for the Peugeot 208 are: emissions (typically around 60k-100k miles, £150-£800 to put right); tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right); suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.
What does the Peugeot 208 cost to run?: Expect around 53 mpg combined on the 1.2 PureTech 100 mHEV Allure, £200 a year in road tax, about £185 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.
Is the Peugeot 208 ULEZ compliant?: Most petrol Peugeot 208s from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the Euro standards for London ULEZ and other UK clean-air zones, so they are generally exempt from the daily charge. Pure-electric versions are always exempt.
How many Peugeot 208s are on UK roads?: About 263,539 Peugeot 208s are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Answers are generated from this car's Forecourt data — DVSA MOT records, DfT licensing statistics and our valuation model — and update with the weekly data refresh.