Peugeot 208 Common Faults in the UK
Mk2 (2019–present) — B-segment supermini. One of the most popular small cars in the UK, available with 1.2 PureTech petrol, 1.5 BlueHDi diesel, and fully electric e-208 (50kWh) variants. Updated 2026-08-14.
The Peugeot 208 Mk2 is a stylish and well-specified supermini but the 1.2 PureTech 100 engine has a documented timing chain and oil consumption problem on early 2019–2020 production cars. Buyers should specifically check for the PureTech chain recall fix and verify the car does not consume oil between services. The e-208 electric variant avoids all petrol engine concerns and is an excellent choice for urban UK drivers.
76.0% of Peugeot 208s pass the MOT first time, 3.9 points worse than the national average for cars of the same age (79.9%). Counted from 23,233 DVSA tests.
Source: DVSA MOT Anonymised Data 2025 (Open Government Licence v3.0). First-time tests only, retests excluded. Compared against cars of the same registration years, because pass rates otherwise mostly measure how old a model's surviving fleet is.
Quick-stats values are indicative editorial estimates aggregated from owner-forum sentiment, recall portals, and reliability surveys. They are not Autoza-derived medians — we do not publish a UK price index yet, and no figure on this page should be quoted as one. See our research methodology for the sample sizes any future published median will have to meet.
Best and worst years to buy
2021 onward is younger against a wet-belt clock that runs on age as well as mileage, so these cars are more likely to be inside the revised 6-year/62,000-mile interval or to have had the belt replaced recently. Stellantis began phasing the wet belt out for a chain from 2023, so the newest petrol cars may avoid it entirely — confirm on the individual car.
2019–2020 cars are now past the revised 6-year/62,000-mile wet-belt interval. The 1.2 PureTech runs its timing belt in engine oil; as the belt breaks down it sheds rubber into the sump, that debris blocks the oil pick-up strainer, and the engine is starved. Oil consumption and engine failure are both well documented on cars with no belt-change invoice.
Known faults — Peugeot 208 Mk2 (2019–present)
Documented from HonestJohn, owner forum sentiment (PistonHeads, Reddit), and the DVSA recall portal. Severity is colour-coded.
1.2 PureTech wet timing belt and oil consumption
Critical — engine-out potential- Symptoms
- Oil level dropping between services; engine warning light; rattle or whine on cold start; stalling; in severe cases sudden loss of oil pressure and engine failure
- Years affected
- Mk2 2019–2023 (1.2 PureTech 100 and 130 petrol) — Belt due at 6 years or 62,000 miles, whichever comes first
- Indicative repair (UK)
- £450–£850 at a UK independent for the belt including cleaning the oil pick-up; £4,000+ once debris has starved the engine
- What to check before buying
- This is the single most important check on any petrol 208. The timing belt runs inside the engine oil; as it ages it sheds rubber into the sump and that debris blocks the oil pick-up strainer, so the engine dies of oil starvation rather than the belt breaking. Ask for a belt-change invoice — Stellantis revised the interval down to 6 years or 62,000 miles with annual oil changes on the correct 5W-30 spec, which puts every 2019–2020 car at or past it. Pull the dipstick and treat a low level as a red flag rather than a top-up. Stellantis runs a UK compensation portal for qualifying wet-belt repairs paid between January 2022 and December 2024, plus a warranty extension of up to 10 years / 112,000 miles — check both before accepting any quote. The e-208 is electric and has no belt at all.
iCockpit i-Toggles touchscreen and digital dashboard freeze
Minor — wear-and-tear- Symptoms
- Centre touchscreen freezes mid-drive; digital instrument cluster goes blank; infotainment reboots spontaneously
- Years affected
- 2019–2022 across all variants — Can occur from low mileage — software-related
- Indicative repair (UK)
- £0–£350 (software update free at dealer; hardware replacement if control unit fails)
- What to check before buying
- Test the touchscreen and digital dashboard during the test drive — do they respond immediately? Ask if the car has had the latest Peugeot Connect infotainment software update applied. Most iCockpit freeze issues are resolved by software updates which are free at any authorised Peugeot dealer.
Gearbox judder — EAT8 automatic
Moderate — service-level fix- Symptoms
- Shuddering or hesitation when moving off from standstill; harshness in low-speed traffic; jerky low-speed gear changes
- Years affected
- 2019–2021 (EAT8 8-speed automatic) — Above 25,000 miles in urban use
- Indicative repair (UK)
- £300–£600 software recalibration; £1,200–£2,800 if mechatronic unit or solenoids require replacement
- What to check before buying
- Test the EAT8 auto specifically in slow-moving traffic and from a complete standstill. Any shudder or hesitation when pulling away is the known EAT8 low-speed judder symptom. A software calibration update (free at dealer under warranty) often resolves it — check whether the update has been applied on older cars. Avoid high-mileage EAT8 automatics without documented gearbox service.
Front brake judder — warped discs
Moderate — service-level fix- Symptoms
- Steering wheel shaking under braking from motorway speeds; pulsing through brake pedal
- Years affected
- All years above 25,000 miles — 25,000+ miles
- Indicative repair (UK)
- £280–£500 front discs and pads replacement
- What to check before buying
- Brake firmly from 50 mph on a quiet road. Any vibration through the pedal or steering wheel indicates warped discs — common on 208s used in urban stop-start traffic. Front disc and pad replacement is straightforward and relatively inexpensive on the 208.
Plastic interior trim fitment and rattles
Minor — wear-and-tear- Symptoms
- Dashboard rattles; A-pillar or door card buzzing; boot trim vibrations over bumpy roads
- Years affected
- All years — cosmetic issue — Often present from 20,000+ miles
- Indicative repair (UK)
- £0–£150 (dealer trim clip replacement); mostly a nuisance rather than a cost
- What to check before buying
- Drive over a speed bump with the radio off. Listen for rattles from the dashboard, door cards, or A-pillar. Interior trim fit and finish is the most common owner complaint on the Mk2 208 — not a safety issue, but can be irritating. Not a reason to reject a car but worth noting for negotiation.
e-208 12V auxiliary battery failure
Moderate — service-level fix- Symptoms
- Car fails to wake from standby; warning lights at startup; EV system faults
- Years affected
- e-208 2019–2022 — From 3–4 years old regardless of mileage
- Indicative repair (UK)
- £120–£250 12V auxiliary battery replacement
- What to check before buying
- For e-208 specifically: check the car has been driven recently (not left standing for weeks). A weak 12V auxiliary battery causes a range of EV system faults and is common on e-208 cars approaching 4 years old. Proactive replacement is cheap insurance.
Who this car suits — and who should look elsewhere
Urban and suburban commuters who want a stylish small car. Buyers who can verify the PureTech wet timing belt has been changed against the 6-year/62,000-mile interval. e-208 buyers doing short-to-medium daily distances under 124 miles.
Buyers who cannot get a wet-belt change invoice for a 2019–2020 petrol car — the belt is past due and the failure mode is engine-destroying. High-mileage EAT8 automatic buyers without documented gearbox service. Buyers wanting a simple, low-maintenance petrol supermini should consider the Toyota Yaris Hybrid instead.
Alternatives to consider
If the Peugeot 208 doesn't suit, these comparable models are worth a look in the UK market:
Looking to buy a Peugeot 208 in the UK?
Search verified Autoza listings filtered by year, mileage, and region. Every dealer carries a public Trust Score; every listing is verified before publication.