Does the Peugeot 205 fail the MOT on brakes more than it should?
The Peugeot 205 records 31.57 brakes failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 20.21 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+11.36, 95% interval +10.64 to +12.08). It ranks 54 of 712 models on brakes (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on brakes · check a Peugeot 205 by registration
What exactly fails on brakes?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Peugeot 205 is “Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle.”, recorded 1,338 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle. | 1,338 | 5.76 |
| Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement | 822 | 3.54 |
| Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake | 686 | 2.95 |
| Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded | 671 | 2.89 |
| Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement | 622 | 2.68 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 23,245 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Peugeot 205 gets a brakes advisory, how often does it fail next time?
19.7% of Peugeot 205 MOTs with a brakes advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.2 months and 935 miles later (4,175 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 4,175 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Peugeot 205 in the Netherlands · Peugeot 205 by postcode area · Peugeot 205 body, chassis and structure failures · Peugeot 205 vehicle identification failures · Peugeot 205 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Peugeot 205 noise, emissions and leaks failures · Peugeot 205 road wheels failures · Peugeot 205 seat belts and airbags failures · Peugeot 205 steering failures · Peugeot 205 suspension failures · Peugeot 205 tyres failures · Peugeot 205 visibility failures