Honda Civic MOT pass rate & common failures
The Honda Civic appears in 1,795,430 MOT tests spanning model years 1981–2025, and 79.2% of them passed. Against small family cars of a similar age (22.2% fail rate), the Civic comes out 1.4pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Civic years
Ranked across Civic 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 2022 (96.0% pass rate); the weakest is 2003 (71.6%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 14.4% of tests against 8.9% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, position lamp and headlamp — headlamp aim alone was recorded 115,262 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 6.3% in the 0-30k band and 29.4% in the 150k+ band, a 23.1-point spread — more than double.
The hybrid cars hold up better: 17.0% fail against 20.9% for petrol, a 3.9-point gap across 1,375,538 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 26.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
Versions & engines
MOT records broken out by the engine designations buyers actually search for.
By model year
Every Civic 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 | 76.7% | 23.3% | Brakes |
| 1985 | 45 | 93.3% | 6.7% | Tyres |
| 1986 | 69 | 81.2% | 18.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1987 | 117 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1988 | 184 | 79.9% | 20.1% | Suspension |
| 1989 | 482 | 78.8% | 21.2% | Brakes |
| 1990 | 747 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 1,451 | 79.7% | 20.3% | Suspension |
| 1992 | 1,155 | 80.5% | 19.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 1,289 | 80.5% | 19.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 1,631 | 79.9% | 20.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 2,694 | 78.9% | 21.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 4,634 | 73.4% | 26.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 6,968 | 72.5% | 27.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 8,333 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 11,353 | 73.8% | 26.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 13,561 | 74.4% | 25.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 36,440 | 72.4% | 27.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 52,146 | 72.3% | 27.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 60,010 | 71.6% | 28.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 79,644 | 72.6% | 27.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 94,963 | 72.9% | 27.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 115,316 | 72.6% | 27.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 169,829 | 73.1% | 26.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 150,246 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 131,586 | 74.4% | 25.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 112,238 | 75.4% | 24.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 72,561 | 77.0% | 23.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 77,956 | 84.2% | 15.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 88,859 | 85.9% | 14.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 82,192 | 87.5% | 12.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 84,612 | 88.5% | 11.5% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 90,151 | 89.5% | 10.5% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 80,738 | 90.3% | 9.7% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 74,649 | 91.1% | 8.9% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 55,919 | 92.3% | 7.8% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 18,411 | 92.9% | 7.1% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 10,544 | 93.6% | 6.4% | Visibility |
| 2022 | 1,487 | 96.0% | 4.0% | Visibility |
| 2023 | 124 | 96.0% | 4.0% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 14.4% | 258,085 |
| 2 | Suspension | 8.9% | 159,476 |
| 3 | Brakes | 6.7% | 120,270 |
| 4 | Tyres | 5.3% | 94,538 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.5% | 80,239 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.6% | 46,116 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 2.5% | 44,168 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.5% | 26,797 |
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 | 115,262 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 94,402 |
| 3 | Headlamp | 83,917 |
| 4 | Stop lamp | 60,263 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 57,593 |
| 6 | Wipers | 48,121 |
| 7 | Brake pads | 47,831 |
| 8 | Washers | 43,430 |
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 | 26.3% | 471,924 |
| 2 | Suspension | 24.5% | 439,495 |
| 3 | Brakes | 23.6% | 424,158 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 13.2% | 237,734 |
| 5 | Other defects | 11.9% | 213,303 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.5% | 116,242 |
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 | 145,288 | 6.3% |
| 30-60k | 340,842 | 12.3% |
| 60-90k | 430,969 | 19.9% |
| 90-120k | 431,375 | 25.2% |
| 120-150k | 281,405 | 27.9% |
| 150k+ | 163,425 | 29.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,365,042 | 20.9% |
| Diesel | 411,149 | 20.4% |
| Hybrid | 10,496 | 17.0% |
| Electric | 4,387 | 18.1% |
| Other | 4,309 | 20.1% |
| Gas/LPG | 47 | 10.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 390,665 | 20.9% |
| 2022 | 380,139 | 20.5% |
| 2023 | 363,831 | 20.7% |
| 2024 | 342,704 | 21.0% |
| 2025 | 318,091 | 20.9% |
What to check before buying a Honda Civic
- Lighting & signalling (14.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (8.9% 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 (6.7% 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 Civic?
79.2% of the 1,795,430 Honda Civic MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 20.8% fail rate, across model years 1981–2025.
What does the Honda Civic most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 14.4% of tests, then suspension (8.9%).
Which Civic years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 96.0% and 2003 the weakest at 71.6%, from 1,487 and 60,010 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Civic MOT results?
Fail rates run at 6.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 29.4% for 150k+, a 23.1-point difference.
Is the hybrid or petrol Civic more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 17.0% of the time against 20.9% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,795,430 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.