Fault File
All models / All cars / Small SUVs / Peugeot 2008

Peugeot 2008

All generations and engines together · 133,902 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 53k

First-time failure at age 7
28.7%
Across 14,923 tests. The average across all tracked models is 19.5%.
Rank at age 7
214 of 239
1 = lowest failure rate among the models tracked.
Typical mileage at age 7
53k miles
Check the mileage view below; low-mileage models can look better by age than they are.

Generation

Split by first-registration year. Cars registered in a changeover year can belong to either generation.

How this model wears

Peugeot 2008Class average, all tracked models

Known issues

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

What testers flag

Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 64,917 tests in this band.

Exhaust system leaking or insecure
Advisory
10.2%class 0.9%
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
Fail
9.6%class 0.6%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
9.3%class 6.7%
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
Fail
4.4%class 0.8%
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
Advisory
3.8%class 2.0%
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
Minor
3.0%class 0.6%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Fail
2.1%class 0.7%
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
Advisory
1.4%class 0.7%
Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer
Fail
1.3%class 0.2%
Exhaust system leaking or insecure
Fail
1.2%class 0.1%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
28.7%class 22.9%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
25.0%class 10.1%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
15.8%class 12.7%
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
Minor
9.8%class 1.2%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
9.5%class 8.7%
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
Advisory
7.1%class 3.4%
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps
Fail
6.0%class 0.6%
Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt
Advisory
3.6%class 2.2%

Unconfirmed issues

Reported

Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.

1.2 PureTech engine failures (timing chain wear, spark plug tip breakage)

Confirmed pattern

The three-cylinder 1.2 PureTech petrol, fitted across most of the 2008 range from 2013 on, has a well-documented habit of wearing its timing chain and oil seals early, and in a smaller number of cases shedding a spark plug tip into the cylinder. Owners report a rattle on cold start, misfiring on a hill, or a sudden loss of power anywhere from 18,000 miles to well over 100,000. Peugeot extended the warranty on affected PureTech engines to help owners with the bigger repairs, but a full engine replacement outside that cover can run into several thousand pounds.

Reported 18k-100k+ miles · sources: Honest John (Ask HJ reports), owner reports on PeugeotForums and PureTech engine problem groups

Alloy wheel corrosion and lacquer peel

Partly in the MOT data

A recurring complaint is bubbling and rust breaking through the lacquer on the standard alloy wheels, sometimes within a couple of years of the car being new. It's cosmetic rather than structural, and dealers have been known to reject it as a warranty claim, leaving the owner to pay for refurbishment. The measured corrosion fault picked up in the MOT data for this segment is usually the more serious, structural kind, but the wheel corrosion is the version buyers actually notice and complain about day to day, so it's worth treating as the visible end of the same reputation.

Reported from around 2 years old · sources: Honest John (Ask HJ reports), owner forums

Clutch wearing out early on manual, stop-start cars

Emerging

Some owners of manual, stop-start-equipped 2008s report the clutch going noisy or slipping well before it should, in a few reported cases within the first year or two and under 20,000 miles. It isn't officially acknowledged as a fault, and Peugeot generally treats it as wear and tear once the car is out of its first year, but the pattern of early failures, often on cars doing lots of short journeys, comes up repeatedly enough to be worth checking. A replacement clutch kit fitted typically runs to £500-900.

Reported under 20k miles on some cars · sources: Honest John (Ask HJ reports), owner forums

AdBlue/SCR warning lights on the diesels

Diesel only

BlueHDi diesel 2008s can throw up AdBlue or SCR system warning lights, sometimes down to a pressurisation fault in the tank or dosing system, occasionally appearing well before the car has covered much distance. It doesn't always mean an immediate limp mode, but it needs sorting before the AdBlue runs dry and the car refuses to start. Diagnosis plus a sensor or pump replacement can cost anywhere from roughly £200 to £600 depending what's at fault.

Reported from around 20k miles · sources: Honest John (Ask HJ reports)

Laggy, glitchy touchscreen

Emerging

The infotainment touchscreen, especially on i-Cockpit-equipped cars, is widely described as slow to respond, with swipe animations that seem designed to hide how long the system takes to think. For most owners it's an annoyance rather than a functional failure, though full freezes or an unresponsive screen are reported more often on higher-spec cars with more features hung off the same unit. There's no recall for it, and dealer software updates are hit and miss at actually fixing it.

Reported across the range · sources: Auto Express, Honest John

Jerky automatic and hybrid gearbox response

Automatics and hybrids only

The eight-speed automatic can feel jerky and overly keen on the throttle at low speed, and the hybrid's six-speed dual-clutch unit has been described as clunky when it swaps between electric and petrol power in traffic. It's a driving characteristic rather than something that breaks, so it won't throw a fault code, but it catches out buyers expecting a smoother automatic. Worth a proper low-speed test drive, including a reverse park, before deciding.

Reported on automatic and hybrid variants · sources: Auto Express, Honest John

Viewing one? Ask this

Built from the two sections above.

Start the engine cold and listen for a rattle around the timing chain, on 1.2 PureTech petrols. A persistent rattle or knock in the first minute points to chain wear, the known PureTech weak spot.
Ask for service history and check for any engine work, warranty claims or extended cover stamps. No record on an older PureTech car isn't reassuring either way, but a documented chain or engine repair shows the fault was caught early.
Walk round the wheels in good light and look closely at the lacquer near the rim edges. Bubbling or rust breaking through means corrosion has already started, and it's often not covered by warranty.
Push the clutch pedal through its full travel and note where it bites, on a manual with stop-start. A high or vague biting point suggests premature wear, especially on a car that's done mostly short trips.
On a diesel, take it for a proper drive and watch the dash for AdBlue or emissions warnings. A lit warning light means an SCR system fault that needs sorting before the car stops starting.
Poke through several menus on the touchscreen during the test drive. Lag, freezing or unresponsive swipes are the known infotainment gripe on this car, not a one-off fault.
On an automatic or hybrid, try a slow reverse park controlling speed on the brake. Jerkiness or vibration through the cabin here is a known characteristic, not damage, but worth knowing before you buy.

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