Honda Civic vs Mercedes-Benz A-Class
On MOT-testable defects, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class (fail rate 14.9%) performed better than the Honda Civic (20.9%) across comparable years. The biggest divergence was lighting & signalling, where the Civic recorded failures more often.
20.9%
Civic fail rate
14.9%
A-Class fail rate
6.03pp
Difference
Side by side
| Metric | Honda Civic | Mercedes-Benz A-Class |
|---|---|---|
| MOT tests analysed | 1,771,579 | 1,863,609 |
| Pass rate | 79.1% | 85.1% |
| Fail rate | 20.9% | 14.9% |
Where they differ
| Category | Civic | A-Class |
|---|---|---|
| Lighting & signalling | 14.5% | 5.1% |
| Suspension | 9.0% | 3.9% |
| Brakes | 6.8% | 3.6% |
| Visibility | 4.5% | 3.3% |
| Tyres | 5.3% | 5.9% |
Methodology & source. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-01. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.