2013 Honda Accord — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 2,971 MOT tests, the 2013 Honda Accord recorded an 83.4% pass rate. Against large family cars of a similar age (20.3% fail rate), the 2013 Accord comes out 3.6pp better. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, brakes and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (8.0%) and brakes (6.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are brake pads, position lamp and headlamp — brake pads alone was recorded 110 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 7.9% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 22.7% once past 150k — 2.9× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 14.1% fail against 17.5% for diesel, a 3.5-point gap across 2,959 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 13.0% of tests failed in 2021 against 18.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 8.0% | 238 |
| 2 | Brakes | 6.6% | 196 |
| 3 | Tyres | 5.2% | 154 |
| 4 | Suspension | 4.1% | 123 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.3% | 69 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.7% | 20 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brake pads | 110 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 89 |
| 3 | Headlamp | 86 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 80 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 75 |
| 6 | Wipers | 64 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 24.2% | 719 |
| 2 | Brakes | 19.6% | 583 |
| 3 | Suspension | 15.3% | 456 |
| 4 | Other defects | 7.8% | 232 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 6.7% | 198 |
| 6 | Visibility | 5.3% | 158 |
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 | 89 | 7.9% |
| 30-60k | 623 | 9.0% |
| 60-90k | 916 | 17.4% |
| 90-120k | 698 | 19.3% |
| 120-150k | 299 | 19.4% |
| 150k+ | 344 | 22.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 2,219 | 17.5% |
| Petrol | 740 | 14.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 593 | 13.0% |
| 2022 | 584 | 15.2% |
| 2023 | 604 | 17.2% |
| 2024 | 607 | 19.3% |
| 2025 | 583 | 18.4% |
What to check before buying a 2013 Accord
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 8.0% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (8.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (6.6% 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.
- Tyres (5.2% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2013 Honda Accords pass their MOT?
83.4% of the 2,971 2013 Honda Accord MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 16.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2013 Honda Accord?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 8.0% of tests, followed by brakes (6.6%).
Does the 2013 Accord get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.9% in the 0-30k band to 22.7% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 2,971 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.