The picture
206: a below-average pass rate worth digging into
Across 77,695 MOT tests, the 206 returns 63.3% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a number-plate lamp out. A lamp out and exhaust system leaking round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 85,219, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
- 01
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
5,914 occurrences · 7.6% of tests
- 02
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
3,244 occurrences · 4.2% of tests
- 03
Exhaust system leaking or insecure
2,835 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
- 04
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
2,726 occurrences · 3.5% of tests
- 05
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
2,580 occurrences · 3.3% of tests
- 06
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
2,317 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
- 07
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
2,231 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
- 08
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
2,128 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
- 09
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
1,935 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
- 10
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
1,909 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures
£228–£600
If every one of this 206's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Tools that pre-empt a retest.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
Buying or keeping a 206?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a 206 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.