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Hyundai Tucson vs Peugeot 3008: which is the better used buy?

On DVSA MOT records the Hyundai Tucson does better at its MOT: measured against cars of the same age, it comes out 5.2 percentage points ahead of the Peugeot 3008 on first-time MOT passes. That comparison covers 32,483 real tests across every generation on the road, not a survey. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure. The MOT checks safety and emissions items, not the engine, clutch or gearbox, so this is one measure of how each car holds up rather than a full reliability verdict; the common faults below cover the rest.

MOT first-time pass rate

Counted from DVSA’s anonymised MOT test records. “vs age-matched” compares each model against what the national fleet scores at the same age — the only fair better-or-worse number, because an older fleet fails more whatever its build quality.

Hyundai Tucson
Pass rate85.3%
Age-matched national85.2%
Difference0.0
Tests17,402
Peugeot 3008
Pass rate75.5%
Age-matched national80.7%
Difference-5.2
Tests15,081

These figures count every generation still on the road, not only the one described below: mostly Hyundai Tucsons registered 2015–2022 and Peugeot 3008s registered 2010–2022.

Source: DVSA MOT Anonymised Data 2025 (Open Government Licence v3.0). National first-time pass rate 77.3%. Class 4 tests in Great Britain, test type NT (a normal annual test), retests excluded. A pass, or a pass with rectification at the station, counts as a first-time pass; DVSA's own initial-test measure counts a rectified pass as a failure and so reports a lower figure. Testing in Northern Ireland is run separately by the DVA under its own rules. The difference is worked out before rounding, so it can be 0.1 away from the two rounded figures beside it.

Hyundai Tucson

NX4, 2020+ · compact crossover SUV

The NX4 Hyundai Tucson (2020+) is a fixture of the UK's top ten best-sellers and broadly reliable. Concerns: 1.6 T-GDI smart-stream engine had early oil-consumption claims (largely settled), PHEV battery cooling pump issues, and pre-2023 infotainment freezes. Long warranty mitigates most risk. Best-buy: 2023+. Worst: no single year stands out on DVSA MOT results.

What goes wrong

  • Safety recall R/2024/489recall
    The subject vehicles may experience a loss of brake assistance and brake performance may e reduced. The foot brake will still operate but in a manner of a vehicle without a functioning brake booster (less assistance)
    3,225 vehicles of this model (DVSA’s figures added up) · built between 12 September 2022 and 7 September 2023
    Smaller recall — 3,225 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • 1.6 T-GDI smart-stream oil consumptionmoderate
    Oil level drops between services; rough idle; rare warning
    2020–2022 1.6 T-GDI · Often goodwill from Hyundai UK under 5-yr warranty; out-of-warranty engine rebuild £3,500+
    Check: Dipstick at viewing. Service history: any oil top-ups recorded? Hyundai goodwill claim history.
  • PHEV battery cooling pumpmajor
    "Hybrid system" warning; battery thermal management warning; reduced EV range
    2021–2022 PHEV (Hyundai UK launched the Tucson plug-in hybrid in March 2021) · Under warranty within 5 years; out of warranty £1,200+
    Check: PHEV battery health check at Hyundai dealer (£30–£50). Compare the EV-only range the car shows on a full charge with the official WLTP electric range for that model: a large shortfall on a mild day suggests the battery has degraded.
  • Infotainment freezesminor
    Screen unresponsive; CarPlay drops; reboot needed
    2020–2022 · Free under software update at Hyundai dealer
    Check: Software version on test drive — should be post-2023 update.
Typical asking price:
£10,290–£19,995, median £11,995 (middle 80% and median, cars on Autoza on 29 October 2026)
Fuel economy:
38–44 mpg for 1.6 T-GDI petrol; 1.6 hybrid 42–49 mpg
Vehicle tax:
£200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025 (2026/27 rates). A car registered from April 2017 that listed at over £40,000 new (options included) also pays the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 — it is the price when new that counts, not what you pay for it used.
Best years:
2023, 2024
Used Hyundai Tucsons for saleFull Tucson fault guideUsed Hyundais

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Peugeot 3008

Mk2 (2016–2024) · C-segment crossover SUV. The 3008 Mk2 was European Car of the Year 2017 and established Peugeot's premium crossover credentials. Available in petrol (1.2 PureTech 130/155, 1.6 THP), diesel (1.5 BlueHDi 130, 2.0 BlueHDi 150/180), and plug-in hybrid (Hybrid 225/300 e-EAT8). Popular in the UK as a premium alternative to the Nissan Qashqai and Hyundai Tucson.

The Peugeot 3008 Mk2 is a well-designed, premium-feeling crossover, but the 1.2 PureTech petrol runs a wet timing belt due at 6 years or 62,000 miles, and DVSA recalls cover belt debris reaching the brake vacuum pump. The 1.5 BlueHDi diesel has its own camshaft-chain recall (R/2025/246). Check any 3008 by registration.

What goes wrong

  • Safety recall R/2023/035recall
    On the affected vehicles the operation of the brake vacuum pump may be affected by material detaching from the timing belt caused by the ageing of the engine oil.
    25,148 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 3 April 2017 and 28 October 2020
    Large recall — 25,148 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Safety recall R/2020/326recall
    The brake vacuum pump may be affected by material detaching from the timing belt
    22,580 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 17 June 2013 and 1 April 2017
    Large recall — 22,580 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • 1.2 PureTech wet timing belt and oil consumptioncritical
    Oil level dropping between services; rattle or whine on cold start; EML and timing-related fault codes; in severe cases engine failure through oil starvation
    2016–2023 (1.2 PureTech 130 and 155 petrol) · Belt due at 6 years or 62,000 miles, whichever comes first · £450–£850 at a UK independent for the belt including cleaning the oil pick-up; £4,000+ if debris has already starved the engine
    Check: Same check as on the 208 — the wet belt is shared across every PSA/Stellantis 1.0 and 1.2 PureTech application, which in the UK also means the Citroën C3 and C4, Vauxhall Corsa, Mokka and Grandland, and the DS 3. The belt runs in the oil and sheds debris that blocks the oil pick-up. Ask for a belt-change invoice against the revised 6-year/62,000-mile interval, pull the dipstick, and check the Stellantis compensation portal (qualifying repairs paid January 2022 to December 2024) and the up-to-10-year/112,000-mile warranty extension. The 1.5 BlueHDi diesel and the Hybrid 225/300 do not use this engine, but the BlueHDi has its own recall (below).
  • iCockpit touchscreen and infotainment freezingmoderate
    Touchscreen freezes or becomes unresponsive; navigation crash; climate control accessible only via frozen screen; system reboots mid-drive
    2016–2021 (older touchscreen/infotainment hardware) · Not mileage-related — software and hardware degradation · £0–£200 software update; £400–£800 infotainment control unit replacement if hardware fails
    Check: Test the full touchscreen functionality during the test drive, including climate control (integrated into the touchscreen on the 3008). Ask if the latest Peugeot Connect software update has been applied. The 3008 infotainment issues are more significant than the 208 because the climate control is fully touchscreen-integrated — a freeze means you lose climate control.
Typical asking price:
£7,450–£13,652, median £9,495 (middle 80% and median, cars on Autoza on 29 October 2026)
Fuel economy:
44–51 mpg (1.2 PureTech real-world UK); 54–63 mpg (1.5 BlueHDi real-world); Hybrid 225: the official figure above 150 mpg is a lab number that assumes every journey starts fully charged — ignore it unless you have home charging, and expect ordinary-hybrid economy once the battery is empty
Vehicle tax:
£200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025. A car registered from April 2017 with a list price over £40,000 when new adds the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 (£640 in all). Cars registered 2001–2017 pay a CO2 band, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates).
Best years:
2020, 2021, 2022
Years to avoid:
2016, 2017, 2018
Used Peugeot 3008s for saleFull 3008 fault guideUsed Peugeots

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Which one suits you

Hyundai Tucson

Good for: Family buyers wanting low-stress modern SUV with Hyundai's 5-year unlimited-mileage warranty (within service-record terms).

Less good for: Buyers needing premium badge feel; very high-mileage motorway commuters (diesel alternatives more efficient).

Peugeot 3008

Good for: Crossover buyers who want premium styling and feel at a price below Audi/BMW. PHEV buyers with home charging whose regular commute sits well inside the electric range. Buyers targeting the 2020+ facelift 1.5 BlueHDi diesel for an economical crossover, with the R/2025/246 recall confirmed done.

Less good for: Buyers who cannot verify the PureTech wet-belt change on 2016–2020 petrol cars. Buyers doing heavy city driving with the EAT8 automatic. Buyers who want the simplest, most reliable SUV ownership — the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid or Hyundai Tucson Hybrid are lower-maintenance choices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is more reliable, the Hyundai Tucson or the Peugeot 3008?
On the MOT measure, the Hyundai Tucson: measured against cars of the same age, it comes out 5.2 percentage points ahead of the Peugeot 3008 on first-time MOT passes, across 32,483 DVSA-recorded tests covering every generation on the road. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure. The MOT checks safety and emissions items, not the engine, clutch or gearbox, so this is one measure of how each car holds up rather than a full reliability verdict.
How do the MOT pass rates of the Hyundai Tucson and the Peugeot 3008 compare?
85.3% of Hyundai Tucsons pass their MOT first time (17,402 tests in DVSA's records) and 75.5% of Peugeot 3008s pass their MOT first time (15,081 tests). The national first-time rate is 77.3%, but cars of the Hyundai Tucson's age average 85.2% and cars of the Peugeot 3008's age 80.7% — so the Hyundai Tucson runs level with its age group and the Peugeot 3008 runs 5.2 points worse than its own. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.
Which years of the Hyundai Tucson and Peugeot 3008 should I avoid?
Hyundai Tucson: The first UK plug-in hybrids arrived in spring 2021, and those early cars are the ones owners most often report battery cooling pump faults on. How often it happens is not known. The DVSA MOT table on this page rates 2021 registrations above all cars registered that year, so it is not named as a year to avoid. Judge a Tucson by its registration, service history and the checks below rather than by year. Peugeot 3008: 2016–2018 launch cars are now well past the revised wet-belt interval, which is where the 1.2 PureTech oil-consumption and engine-failure reports concentrate — the belt sheds debris into the oil and blocks the pick-up. Early infotainment (touchscreen module freeze) was also most prevalent on these years. The 1.6 THP petrol used on some early variants had higher oil consumption than the later 1.2 PureTech.
Is the Hyundai Tucson or the Peugeot 3008 cheaper to run?
On fuel it depends on the engine, and for a plug-in or electric version on whether you can charge at home. Hyundai Tucson: 38–44 mpg for 1.6 T-GDI petrol; 1.6 hybrid 42–49 mpg. Peugeot 3008: 44–51 mpg (1.2 PureTech real-world UK); 54–63 mpg (1.5 BlueHDi real-world); Hybrid 225: the official figure above 150 mpg is a lab number that assumes every journey starts fully charged — ignore it unless you have home charging, and expect ordinary-hybrid economy once the battery is empty. For cars registered from April 2017, vehicle tax works the same way for both: the £200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included, plus the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 on a car that listed at over £40,000 new — the price when new, not what you pay for it used. Any Hyundai Tucson or Peugeot 3008 registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 pays a CO2 band instead, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates). Insurance differs mainly by driver and postcode rather than by model, so treat any model-level insurance figure with caution.

MOT figures are counted from DVSA records and are the only measured statistic here. Prices, economy and tax bands are indicative and vary by specification, condition and where the car has lived. Last reviewed: 2026-10-06 / 2026-10-06.