Honda Acty MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 45 model years and 1,030 tests, the Honda Acty passes its MOT 81.5% of the time. Against all cars of a similar age (21.4% fail rate), the Acty comes out 2.9pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, body, structure & corrosion and emissions & environmental.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 12.3% of all tests — 5.3 points clear of body, structure & corrosion, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are catalyst emissions, joints and rear fog lamp — catalyst emissions alone was recorded 76 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 13.5% in the 0-30k band and 22.2% in the 90-120k band, a 8.7-point spread.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: body, structure & corrosion was flagged on 11.9% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 22.4% in 2021 to 17.1% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Acty model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 52 | 65.4% | 34.6% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1986 | 62 | 79.0% | 21.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1987 | 71 | 77.5% | 22.5% | Brakes |
| 1988 | 92 | 85.9% | 14.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 48 | 83.3% | 16.7% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1997 | 97 | 81.4% | 18.6% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1998 | 51 | 80.4% | 19.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 34 | 70.6% | 29.4% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2008 | 39 | 69.2% | 30.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 40 | 92.5% | 7.5% | Body, structure & corrosion |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 12.3% | 127 |
| 2 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.0% | 72 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 6.5% | 67 |
| 4 | Brakes | 5.1% | 52 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.0% | 51 |
| 6 | Suspension | 3.1% | 32 |
| 7 | Steering | 1.9% | 20 |
| 8 | Tyres | 1.8% | 19 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalyst emissions | 76 |
| 2 | Joints | 59 |
| 3 | Rear fog lamp | 54 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 37 |
| 5 | Service brake performance | 29 |
| 6 | Service brake imbalance | 28 |
| 7 | Wipers | 28 |
| 8 | Position lamp | 25 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Body, structure & corrosion | 11.9% | 123 |
| 2 | Suspension | 10.6% | 109 |
| 3 | Tyres | 9.9% | 102 |
| 4 | Brakes | 9.7% | 100 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 5.5% | 57 |
| 6 | Other defects | 4.3% | 44 |
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 | 200 | 13.5% |
| 30-60k | 402 | 17.7% |
| 60-90k | 299 | 19.7% |
| 90-120k | 81 | 22.2% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 183 | 22.4% |
| 2022 | 194 | 18.0% |
| 2023 | 208 | 20.2% |
| 2024 | 200 | 15.0% |
| 2025 | 245 | 17.1% |
What to check before buying a Honda Acty
- Lighting & signalling (12.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Body, structure & corrosion (7.0% of tests): The one to take seriously on older cars — corrosion to structural areas can be costly and is an MOT failure. Typical repair: £200–£1,500+.
- Emissions & environmental (6.5% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
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 Acty?
81.5% of the 1,030 Honda Acty MOT tests in this dataset passed, an 18.4% fail rate, across model years 1981–2025.
What does the Honda Acty most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 12.3% of tests, then body, structure & corrosion (7.0%).
How much does mileage affect Acty MOT results?
Fail rates run at 13.5% for cars in the 0-30k band and 22.2% for 90-120k, a 8.7-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,030 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.