Fault File
All models / All cars / Family hatchbacks / Peugeot 308

Peugeot 308

All generations and engines together · 112,826 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 67k

Reliability verdict
EBy age
EBy miles

Graded against its peers

One of the worst family hatchbacks, by age and by mileage. Watch corrosion and suspension. A risky used buy. Check the MOT history for repeating corrosion advisories before you go.

First-time failure at age 7
26.4%
Across 8,186 tests. The average for family hatchbacks is 18.5%.
First-time failure at 50-60k miles
28.2%
Across 10,997 tests. The average for family hatchbacks is 20.4%.
Rank in its class
24 of 28
1 = lowest failure rate among the 28 family hatchbacks we can rank.
Typical mileage at age 7
67k miles
How far the average car has gone by seven years old. 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.

What owners report

Reported

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

PureTech 1.2 petrol engine failures

Confirmed pattern

The 1.2 PureTech turbo petrol used across the newer 308 range has a well-documented history of premature engine wear: cases of crankshaft damage, spark plugs breaking loose and causing misfires, and carbon build-up on the valves. Owners have reported failures as early as 40,000 miles, well outside normal wear territory. Peugeot/Stellantis dealers have issued software updates for older PureTech units to address some of the running problems, and a full engine replacement, if it comes to that, runs well into four figures.

Reported from around 40k miles · sources: Honest John carbycar (308 2013-2021), owner forum reports

Rear axle corrosion and cracked welds

Partly in the MOT data

This is the folklore version of the model's measured MOT weak point. Owners report creaking and grinding from the rear over bumps, traced to rust forming inside the box-section rear axle beam, which can crack the welds from the inside out. Peugeot's dealer fix is a drill-and-foam treatment to stop the corrosion spreading rather than a straight replacement. It rarely shows as visible rust at a glance, which is exactly why it slips past a casual look but still shows up as corrosion in the test data.

Reported on 2013-2021 cars, several years old · sources: Honest John carbycar (308 2013-2021)

Clutch master/slave cylinder failure

Emerging

A recurring complaint across more than one generation, mostly on the 1.6 HDi diesel manuals: the clutch pedal goes soft, the biting point creeps up, or the clutch fails to disengage properly. It tends to show up from around three years old and can repeat more than once on the same car. Parts and labour for the cylinders are not expensive on their own, roughly £150-£400, but repeat failures point to a wider fluid or seal problem worth asking the seller about.

Reported from around 3 years old · sources: Honest John carbycar (308 2007-2013, 308 2013-2021)

AL4 automatic gearbox faults

EmergingAutomatics only

On the earlier (2007-2013) 308 with the AL4 four-speed automatic, owners report a harsh 'kick' on cold-start pull-away and intermittent gearbox fault warnings that don't clear with a fluid change. It's a known weak spot for this transmission across several PSA models of the era, not unique to the 308. Repairs, if it comes to a rebuild, can run to £1,000-£1,500. Doesn't apply to manual cars.

Cases reported around 4 years old · sources: Honest John carbycar (308 2007-2013)

DPF clogging and additive pump faults

DisputedDiesel only

Diesel 308s can throw a 'risk of filter clogging' warning tied to failure of the additive (Eolys) pump that dopes fuel to help the DPF regenerate, logged as fault code P1435 in at least one reported case. Left unaddressed it leads to a blocked filter and a bill that can run from a few hundred pounds for the pump up to £1,000+ if the DPF itself needs replacing. Mostly an issue on cars that do a lot of short, low-speed journeys.

Reported on HDi diesels · sources: Honest John carbycar (308 2007-2013)

Laggy touchscreen and screen-only climate controls

Disputed

On the current (2021-on) 308, the infotainment software is repeatedly described as slow to respond, and there are no physical buttons for the climate controls, so adjusting temperature or fan speed means digging through the touchscreen while driving. It's not a fault that leaves you stranded, and Peugeot has made no formal acknowledgement, but it's one of the most consistently repeated gripes about the current car and it's worth trying yourself before you buy rather than taking someone else's word for it.

Reported on cars from new · sources: Honest John (308 2021-on review), What Car reliability page

What to check on this car

Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.

Saveable checklist

From this model’s MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Bushes and ball jointsRuns high on this model Drive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 9.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 5.9%
Lights and horn walkroundRuns high on this model With a helper, run every light: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights including the high-level one, reverse, fog, and the horn. On newer cars a dead LED section can mean replacing the whole lamp unit rather than a bulb.Recorded on 7.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.2%
LeaksRuns high on this model Look at the ground where the car usually stands, then glance under the engine after your test drive. Fresh drips of oil or coolant are the cheapest warning you will ever get about a car.Recorded on 3.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%
Rubber boots and gaitersRuns high on this model On full steering lock, look in behind each front wheel at the concertina rubber boots on the driveshafts and steering rack. Splits, or grease flung around the arch, mean dirt is getting into a joint that costs far more than the boot protecting it.Recorded on 3.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%
Coil springsRuns high on this model Look through the wheel spokes at the bottom coil of each spring; when springs snap it is usually there, and the break is visible. Step back and check the car sits level too. A dropped corner is often a broken spring.Recorded on 2.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.4%
Steering playRuns high on this model With the engine running and the car parked, waggle the wheel lightly about the straight-ahead. The wheels should respond almost at once. A dead zone before anything happens means wear in the rack or the track rod ends.Recorded on 2.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.4%
ExhaustRuns high on this model Listen along the exhaust at cold idle for blowing or chuffing, and give the tailpipe a push to check nothing hangs loose. Small blows only get louder.Recorded on 1.9% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.

Tyres, all four Check the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 30.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 20.1%
Pads and discsRuns high on this model Look through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 17.7% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 10.1%
Windscreen and wipers Scan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 1.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Start a PureTech petrol from cold and listen for rattling, knocking or rough idle before it settles. Persistent rattle or knock points at the known PureTech wear problems, not just a cold engine.
Check the service history for cambelt/timing chain work and any PureTech software updates. No record of either is a warning sign given how many of these engines have failed early.
Drive slowly over a speed bump or rough patch and listen for creaking or grinding from the rear. That's the sound of a corroding rear axle beam, the folklore version of this model's corrosion weak spot.
Press the clutch pedal and check the biting point isn't unusually high or the pedal spongy. Signals a tired clutch master or slave cylinder, especially on 1.6 HDi manuals.
On automatics, pull away from cold and watch for a harsh kick or any gearbox warning light. Classic sign of the AL4 gearbox fault on earlier cars; fluid changes rarely fix it.
On diesels, check the dash for DPF or filter warnings and ask if the car has ever thrown one. Points at additive pump or DPF clogging problems, worse on cars used mostly for short trips.
On a 2021-on car, try the touchscreen cold and adjust the climate control through it. Lag or a fiddly menu here is a known, repeated complaint, not a one-off glitch.

Open the saveable checklist, tick it off at the car

The MOT data

Measured

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

How this model wears

Peugeot 308Class average, all tracked models

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. 41,894 tests in this band.

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
14.6%class 6.6%
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%
Exhaust system leaking or insecure
Advisory
3.5%class 0.9%
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
Fail
3.3%class 0.6%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Fail
2.5%class 1.4%
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
Fail
2.4%class 0.4%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Fail
2.2%class 0.3%
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
Minor
2.1%class 0.6%
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
Advisory
1.5%class 0.4%

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
33.9%class 22.9%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
17.7%class 10.1%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
12.4%class 8.7%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
11.9%class 13.4%
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
Minor
7.8%class 1.2%
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
Advisory
4.5%class 3.4%
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Fail
4.4%class 2.3%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Fail
3.4%class 1.6%

Others in its class

Same segment (Family hatchbacks), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.

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