Honda Accord MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 46 model years and 193,297 tests, the Honda Accord passes its MOT 75.5% of the time. That is 1.7 percentage points better than large family cars of a similar age, which fail at 26.2%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Accord years
Ranked across Accord years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
The strongest year on this record is 2014 (85.8% pass rate); the weakest is 2001 (67.8%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 16.7% of tests against 10.7% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, headlamp and position lamp — headlamp aim alone was recorded 15,866 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 28.1% versus 14.1%.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 24.3% of the time against 24.7% for petrol.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 33.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Accord model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 30 | 93.3% | 6.7% | Visibility |
| 1986 | 47 | 80.8% | 19.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1987 | 60 | 73.3% | 26.7% | Suspension |
| 1988 | 62 | 83.9% | 16.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1989 | 195 | 82.0% | 17.9% | Brakes |
| 1990 | 159 | 81.8% | 18.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 162 | 78.4% | 21.6% | Suspension |
| 1992 | 196 | 80.1% | 19.9% | Brakes |
| 1993 | 157 | 73.3% | 26.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 223 | 71.3% | 28.7% | Brakes |
| 1995 | 323 | 72.5% | 27.6% | Brakes |
| 1996 | 459 | 72.3% | 27.7% | Brakes |
| 1997 | 647 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Brakes |
| 1998 | 1,390 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 3,760 | 71.3% | 28.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 6,336 | 70.3% | 29.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 4,786 | 67.8% | 32.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 4,910 | 67.8% | 32.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 12,334 | 72.3% | 27.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 19,358 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 22,703 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 21,731 | 74.3% | 25.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 23,449 | 74.7% | 25.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 19,899 | 76.6% | 23.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 19,916 | 78.9% | 21.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 7,986 | 80.7% | 19.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 7,773 | 81.9% | 18.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 7,212 | 81.8% | 18.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 2,971 | 83.4% | 16.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 2,511 | 85.8% | 14.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 920 | 90.2% | 9.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 79 | 83.5% | 16.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 99 | 84.9% | 15.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 75 | 86.7% | 13.3% | Seat belts & restraints |
| 2019 | 115 | 89.6% | 10.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 103 | 85.4% | 14.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 71 | 85.9% | 14.1% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 16.7% | 32,248 |
| 2 | Suspension | 10.7% | 20,744 |
| 3 | Brakes | 9.2% | 17,777 |
| 4 | Tyres | 5.4% | 10,440 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.9% | 9,508 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 4.3% | 8,295 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.7% | 7,234 |
| 8 | Steering | 2.0% | 3,847 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 15,866 |
| 2 | Headlamp | 14,069 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 13,131 |
| 4 | Ball joint | 9,925 |
| 5 | Pins and bushes | 7,199 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 6,416 |
| 7 | Wipers | 6,260 |
| 8 | Catalyst emissions | 5,738 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 33.8% | 65,352 |
| 2 | Brakes | 27.0% | 52,177 |
| 3 | Tyres | 26.8% | 51,698 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 18.6% | 35,890 |
| 5 | Other defects | 11.8% | 22,896 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 10.1% | 19,548 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 1,765 | 14.1% |
| 30-60k | 12,896 | 14.8% |
| 60-90k | 33,070 | 20.3% |
| 90-120k | 47,592 | 24.1% |
| 120-150k | 45,190 | 27.0% |
| 150k+ | 52,476 | 28.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 115,001 | 24.7% |
| Diesel | 78,204 | 24.3% |
| Hybrid | 70 | 8.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 49,572 | 24.5% |
| 2022 | 43,435 | 24.3% |
| 2023 | 38,209 | 24.5% |
| 2024 | 33,319 | 24.9% |
| 2025 | 28,762 | 24.6% |
What to check before buying a Honda Accord
- Lighting & signalling (16.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (10.7% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Brakes (9.2% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Honda Accord?
75.5% of the 193,297 Honda Accord MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 24.5% fail rate, across model years 1980–2025.
What does the Honda Accord most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 16.7% of tests, then suspension (10.7%).
Which Accord years are best and worst for MOT results?
2014 has the best pass rate at 85.8% and 2001 the weakest at 67.8%, from 2,511 and 4,786 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Accord MOT results?
Fail rates run at 14.1% for cars in the 0-30k band and 28.1% for 150k+, a 14.0-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Accord more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 24.3% of the time against 24.7% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 193,297 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.