1993 Honda Civic — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 1,289 MOT tests, the 1993 Honda Civic recorded an 80.5% pass rate. Against small family cars of a similar age (21.9% fail rate), the 1993 Civic comes out 2.4pp better. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, body, structure & corrosion and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (9.8%) and body, structure & corrosion (7.4%) 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, catalyst emissions and headlamp aim — component mounting prescribed areas alone was recorded 88 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 1993 Civic fails 20.6% of the time in the 30-60k band and 22.1% at 150k+, a spread of only 1.5 points.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 27.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 20.5% in 2021 to 16.0% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 9.8% | 126 |
| 2 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.4% | 95 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.1% | 91 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 5.7% | 74 |
| 5 | Brakes | 5.5% | 71 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.1% | 53 |
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 | 88 |
| 2 | Catalyst emissions | 87 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 69 |
| 4 | Joints | 52 |
| 5 | Service brake performance | 50 |
| 6 | Wipers | 41 |
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 | 27.0% | 348 |
| 2 | Brakes | 18.8% | 242 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 16.8% | 216 |
| 4 | Tyres | 13.9% | 179 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 11.1% | 143 |
| 6 | Other defects | 7.2% | 93 |
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 | 228 | 20.6% |
| 60-90k | 331 | 18.7% |
| 90-120k | 363 | 18.5% |
| 120-150k | 230 | 22.6% |
| 150k+ | 104 | 22.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 307 | 20.5% |
| 2022 | 287 | 20.2% |
| 2023 | 265 | 21.1% |
| 2024 | 218 | 18.8% |
| 2025 | 212 | 16.0% |
What to check before buying a 1993 Civic
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 9.8% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (9.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Body, structure & corrosion (7.4% 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+.
- Suspension (7.1% 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 1993 Honda Civics pass their MOT?
80.5% of the 1,289 1993 Honda Civic MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 19.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 1993 Honda Civic?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 9.8% of tests, followed by body, structure & corrosion (7.4%).
Does the 1993 Civic get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 20.6% in the 30-60k band to 22.1% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,289 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.