Peugeot 208 hatchback - Reliability & safety

Peugeot is ranked above average for customer satisfaction, and its most recent cars have scored the full five stars in Euro NCAP crash-testing. We see no reason the 208 shouldn't continue the trend because it's fitted with more safety kit and driving aids than you might expect for a car of its size.

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Peugeot 208 reliability

Peugeot came eighth out of 30 manufacturers in our 2020 Driver Power survey, with good results for build quality, running costs and reasonable servicing prices. It's a result that put Peugeot ahead of SEAT, Volkswagen and MINI. Around 12% of respondents told us their car had experienced a fault within the first year, which isn’t too bad either.

Safety

The latest 208 scored four out of five stars in Euro NCAP crash testing in 2019, where other cars of this type like the new Renault Clio scored the full five. This will be disappointing news for Peugeot, as most cars achieve the full five-star safety rating. The new 208 scored well overall in all categories but lost points due to lack of adequate whiplash protection for rear adult passengers, which is something buyers considering a new 208 should think about if they regularly carry adults in the back.

The lack of a fifth star doesn’t make the 208 an unsafe car. There are a plethora of driving aids available, from adaptive cruise control to lane positioning assist, traffic sign recognition to blind spot monitoring. It also features driver attention monitoring, which works at speeds over 40mph and analyses steering wheel movements to detect alertness.