2012 Honda Civic — MOT failures & pass rate
77,956 MOT tests on the 2012 Honda Civic are in this dataset, and 84.2% of them passed. Against small family cars of a similar age (21.3% fail rate), the 2012 Civic comes out 5.6pp better. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, brakes and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 11.5% of all tests — 6.0 points clear of brakes, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, headlamp aim and brake pads — position lamp alone was recorded 4,778 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 23.1% versus 8.4%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 3.5pp more often than petrol ones (18.1% vs 14.6%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 24.8% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 13.0% of tests failed in 2021 against 18.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 11.5% | 8,935 |
| 2 | Brakes | 5.5% | 4,275 |
| 3 | Tyres | 5.4% | 4,183 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.1% | 3,191 |
| 5 | Suspension | 3.2% | 2,480 |
| 6 | Steering | 1.3% | 982 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Position lamp | 4,778 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 3,345 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 2,299 |
| 4 | Wipers | 2,207 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 2,100 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 1,985 |
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 | 24.8% | 19,340 |
| 2 | Brakes | 21.1% | 16,413 |
| 3 | Suspension | 13.4% | 10,435 |
| 4 | Other defects | 9.1% | 7,082 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 6.3% | 4,946 |
| 6 | Steering | 4.0% | 3,127 |
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 | 2,009 | 8.4% |
| 30-60k | 15,764 | 10.2% |
| 60-90k | 27,141 | 14.7% |
| 90-120k | 19,764 | 18.3% |
| 120-150k | 8,961 | 21.2% |
| 150k+ | 4,191 | 23.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 52,805 | 14.6% |
| Diesel | 25,116 | 18.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 15,415 | 13.0% |
| 2022 | 15,545 | 14.0% |
| 2023 | 15,696 | 15.7% |
| 2024 | 15,754 | 17.5% |
| 2025 | 15,546 | 18.6% |
What to check before buying a 2012 Civic
On a 2012 Civic, lighting & signalling is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 11.5% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Lighting & signalling (11.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (5.5% 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 (5.4% 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 2012 Honda Civics pass their MOT?
84.2% of the 77,956 2012 Honda Civic MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 15.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2012 Honda Civic?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.5% of tests, followed by brakes (5.5%).
Does the 2012 Civic get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.4% in the 0-30k band to 23.1% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 77,956 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.