Fault File
All models / All cars / Saloons & estates / Peugeot 508

Peugeot 508

All generations and engines together · 17,556 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 78k

First-time failure at age 7
21.2%
Across 378 tests. The average across all tracked models is 19.5%.
Rank at age 7
164 of 239
1 = lowest failure rate among the models tracked.
Typical mileage at age 7
78k 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 508Class 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. 3,182 tests in this band.

Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
Advisory
4.9%class 2.0%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
4.5%class 6.6%
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
Fail
4.2%class 0.6%
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
Minor
4.1%class 0.6%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Fail
2.9%class 1.4%
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
Advisory
1.7%class 2.3%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Fail
1.7%class 0.9%
A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting
Advisory
1.2%class 0.6%

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
31.7%class 22.9%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
14.9%class 10.1%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
12.2%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
6.2%class 1.2%
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
Advisory
5.4%class 3.4%
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Fail
5.2%class 2.2%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Fail
2.8%class 1.6%

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.

Dual-mass flywheel and clutch wear (diesel manuals)

Emerging

On manual diesel 508s the dual-mass flywheel and clutch can wear out well before you'd expect. Honest John's reader reports include one failing at 3 years 5 months old for a £1,600 bill, and another needing clutch and flywheel work at just 18 months and 28,000 miles. It shows as a rattle or shudder through the clutch pedal at idle, or the clutch slipping under load. No TSB or recall, and dealers have not treated it as a routine warranty item.

Reported 18 months to 3.5 years, 28k-50k miles · sources: Honest John reader reports (508 2011-2018)

EGC and Hybrid4 automated-manual clutch wear

Automated manual (EGC/Hybrid4) only

The EGC automated manual, and the separate clutch pack in the Hybrid4, wear faster than a normal manual clutch. One Hybrid4 needed a replacement at 68,000 miles. It feels like hesitation or a flare in revs between changes, worse in slow traffic. Doesn't apply to the plain manual or the later EAT6/EAT8 torque-converter automatics.

Reported around 60k-70k miles · sources: Honest John reader reports (508 2011-2018)

DPF blockage and forced regeneration

Diesel only

Like most diesels of this era, the HDi engines can block their particulate filter on cars used mainly for short runs, triggering a warning light and needing a forced regeneration, which Honest John puts at around £213 a time if a garage has to do it. The 1.6 HDi seems particularly sensitive to fuel quality and short trips. This is a running-pattern problem rather than a build fault, and there's no recall for it.

Can appear at any age on short-trip cars · sources: Honest John reader reports (508 2011-2018)

Front suspension bush and arm wear, uneven tyre wear

Partly in the MOT data

Owners report the front suspension arm bushes wearing early, one 2.2 HDi GT at just 30,000 miles, which drags down the inner tyre shoulder fast, in one case needing rear tyres replaced every 4,000 miles. There are separate reports of rear dampers failing within the warranty period too. This tracks with the measured MOT data for this model, where suspension is the standout signature fault against the class, so the owner folklore and the numbers are pointing the same way here.

Reported from around 30k miles · sources: Honest John reader reports (508 2011-2018), measured MOT fault data

Injector and fuel system faults, limp-home mode

Emerging

HDi diesel injectors can develop electrical faults that bring on fuel pressure errors and limp-home mode. In at least one case Peugeot insisted on replacing the whole fuel system rather than a single injector, pushing the bill into four figures, on a car at 72,000 miles. Poor-quality diesel appears to make it worse. No TSB found, and dealer response has been inconsistent.

Reported from around 70k miles · sources: Honest John reader reports (508 2011-2018)

Infotainment lag and other electrical gremlins

Disputed

The current (2018-on) car's 10-inch touchscreen has been criticised in press testing for laggy responses, patchy DAB reception, and CarPlay/Android Auto that drops out or won't connect, plus the map view vanishing whenever you touch the climate or seat controls. Earlier (2011-2018) cars had their own electrical gripes: a 'gong' chime warning of a failing 12V battery, wiper motors burning out on some fleet cars, and the old RT6 sat-nav unit failing outright, around £1,800 to replace. Owners disagree on how much of this counts as a real fault versus fiddly software.

Reported across ownership, worse as cars age · sources: Honest John road test and reader reports (both generations)

Viewing one? Ask this

Built from the two sections above.

Pull away gently in first gear on a diesel manual and feel for shudder or slip through the clutch. Judder or slipping points at dual-mass flywheel or clutch wear, a four-figure repair.
On an EGC or Hybrid4 automated manual, drive it in stop-start traffic and feel for flare or hesitation between changes. Rev flare or a jerky change means the clutch pack is on its way out.
Check the MOT and service history for a DPF warning light or forced regeneration entries. Repeated regen visits suggest mostly short journeys, hard on the filter and the oil.
Push down hard on each front corner and check the inner edge of the front tyres. Knocking, or the inner shoulder worn bald, points to the front bushes and arms, the suspension weak spot the MOT data also flags.
Ask if the engine has ever gone into limp-home mode or had fuel system work done. A history of limp-home mode points at injector or fuel pressure faults that can mean a full fuel system bill.
Pair your phone to CarPlay or Android Auto and try the DAB radio on the test drive. Lag, dropouts, or a nav screen that vanishes when you touch the climate controls is a known gripe, not a one-off fault with your test car.
Check for a recent 12V battery replacement or listen for a warning chime on start-up. A repeat battery replacement or 'gong' warning suggests the charging system is marginal.

Others in its class

Same segment (Saloons & estates), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.