The Peugeot Partner, a versatile van model popular among small businesses and tradespeople, was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) investigation period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. This period saw widespread concerns over motor finance mis-selling practices, with many customers unknowingly entering into unfair or overly complex financial arrangements.
How the Peugeot Partner Was Typically Financed
During the relevant period, the Peugeot Partner was frequently financed through Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and Hire Purchase (HP) agreements. PCP deals typically ranged from £20,000 to £45,000 for terms lasting 36 to 60 months. Common lenders providing finance for the Peugeot Partner included
Black Horse,
Lombard,
Close Brothers Motor Finance, and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions.
A key feature of PCP deals is the balloon payment or Guaranteed Minimum Future Value (GMFV), which represents a prediction of what the van will be worth at the end of the agreement. If the GMFV turns out to be incorrect, it can result in an unexpectedly high final payment that customers may struggle to meet.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
In response to growing concerns about motor finance mis-selling practices, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) launched a full investigation. This probe revealed significant issues related to
discretionary commission arrangements between lenders and motor dealerships. These arrangements could incentivize salespeople to recommend finance products that were more profitable for the dealership but less suitable for the customer.
The FCA's findings indicated that 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) had been affected by these practices, with an estimated total overcharge of £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026). On average, customers were overcharged by approximately £829 per agreement (FCA estimate). The investigation highlighted how these mis-selling practices could result in customers paying higher interest rates and fees than necessary.
How to Check Your Agreement Look for any signs that suggest you were charged more or given less favourable terms than what was fair at the time of purchase. Key indicators include:
- High interest rates: If your rate seems unusually high compared to market standards.
- Discretionary commission arrangements (DCA): This term can often be found in finance agreements and indicates that a dealer may have received an additional commission for recommending certain financing options.
Relevant dates are crucial; the FCA investigation covers agreements made between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024. If your agreement falls within this period, you should consider seeking further information from your lender regarding any potential mis-selling issues.
If you suspect that your Peugeot Partner finance agreement was affected by motor finance mis-selling practices, you can complain directly to your lender at no cost. Common lenders such as Black Horse, Lombard, Close Brothers Motor Finance, and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions typically have dedicated teams to handle customer complaints.
When making a complaint, it is important to provide detailed information about the issues you are experiencing and any evidence that supports your claim. You do not need a
claims management company to assist with this process; handling your complaint directly can often be more efficient and less costly.
You can complain directly to your lender for free without needing to engage a claims management company (FCA, 2024).
Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). "Motor Finance: Report on the final rules." October 2024.
- Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). Complaints data and guidance.
Based on 162,629 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Peugeot Partner has a pass rate of 75.5%. This is below the national average of 79.6%, meaning the Partner has a higher-than-average failure rate in MOT testing.
The Partner pass rate is in line with the overall Peugeot average of 77.1%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 98,176 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 75.5%
- MOT failure rate: 24.5%
- Tests analysed: 162,629 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 98,176 miles
- Peugeot average pass rate: 77.1%
- National average pass rate: 79.6%
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.