1989 Honda Civic — MOT failures & pass rate
The 1989 Honda Civic passed 78.8% of its 482 recorded MOT tests. Against small family cars of a similar age (19.2% fail rate), the 1989 Civic comes out 1.9pp worse. Failures cluster in brakes, lighting & signalling and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (10.2%) and lighting & signalling (10.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are component mounting prescribed areas, headlamp and service brake performance — component mounting prescribed areas alone was recorded 48 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 30-60k one: 30.1% versus 25.3%.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 24.9% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 28.1% in 2021 to 15.5% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 10.2% | 49 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 10.0% | 48 |
| 3 | Suspension | 9.3% | 45 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.3% | 35 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.2% | 20 |
| 6 | Steering | 3.7% | 18 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 48 |
| 2 | Headlamp | 20 |
| 3 | Service brake performance | 19 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 19 |
| 5 | Prescribed areas | 17 |
| 6 | Service brake imbalance | 16 |
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 | 24.9% | 120 |
| 2 | Brakes | 23.4% | 113 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 18.9% | 91 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 17.2% | 83 |
| 5 | Tyres | 13.9% | 67 |
| 6 | Other defects | 10.4% | 50 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 30-60k | 75 | 25.3% |
| 60-90k | 123 | 14.6% |
| 90-120k | 94 | 16.0% |
| 120-150k | 103 | 26.2% |
| 150k+ | 73 | 30.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 114 | 28.1% |
| 2022 | 104 | 22.1% |
| 2023 | 93 | 22.6% |
| 2024 | 87 | 14.9% |
| 2025 | 84 | 15.5% |
What to check before buying a 1989 Civic
On a 1989 Civic, brakes is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 10.2% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Brakes (10.2% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (10.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (9.3% 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.
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 1989 Honda Civics pass their MOT?
78.8% of the 482 1989 Honda Civic MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 21.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 1989 Honda Civic?
Brakes, recorded in 10.2% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (10.0%).
Does the 1989 Civic get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 25.3% in the 30-60k band to 30.1% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 482 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.