2013 Honda Civic — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 88,859 MOT tests, the 2013 Honda Civic recorded an 85.9% pass rate. Against small family cars of a similar age (19.5% fail rate), the 2013 Civic comes out 5.3pp better. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 10.3% of tests against 5.2% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, headlamp aim and brake pads — position lamp alone was recorded 4,669 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 6.3% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 21.3% once past 150k — 3.4× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 12.9% fail against 15.4% for diesel, a 2.4-point gap across 88,852 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 25.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 11.2% of tests failed in 2021 against 17.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 10.3% | 9,165 |
| 2 | Tyres | 5.2% | 4,637 |
| 3 | Brakes | 4.5% | 3,982 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.1% | 3,665 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.2% | 1,946 |
| 6 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.9% | 805 |
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 | 4,669 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 3,943 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 2,763 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 2,448 |
| 5 | Wipers | 2,439 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 2,183 |
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 | 25.0% | 22,201 |
| 2 | Brakes | 20.1% | 17,860 |
| 3 | Suspension | 10.1% | 8,982 |
| 4 | Other defects | 8.8% | 7,864 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 5.1% | 4,510 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.8% | 3,328 |
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 | 3,314 | 6.3% |
| 30-60k | 20,426 | 9.4% |
| 60-90k | 30,771 | 13.4% |
| 90-120k | 20,794 | 17.3% |
| 120-150k | 8,971 | 19.2% |
| 150k+ | 4,519 | 21.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 45,096 | 12.9% |
| Diesel | 43,756 | 15.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 17,432 | 11.2% |
| 2022 | 17,698 | 12.8% |
| 2023 | 17,899 | 14.1% |
| 2024 | 17,908 | 15.5% |
| 2025 | 17,922 | 17.0% |
What to check before buying a 2013 Civic
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 10.3% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (10.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (5.2% 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.
- Brakes (4.5% 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.
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 2013 Honda Civics pass their MOT?
85.9% of the 88,859 2013 Honda Civic MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 14.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2013 Honda Civic?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 10.3% of tests, followed by tyres (5.2%).
Does the 2013 Civic get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.3% in the 0-30k band to 21.3% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 88,859 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.