2018 Honda Civic — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 74,649 MOT tests, the 2018 Honda Civic recorded a 91.1% pass rate. That is 1.5 percentage points better than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 10.4%. Failures cluster in tyres, visibility and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (4.3%) and visibility (3.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, tread depth and brake pads — wipers alone was recorded 2,061 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 5.5% in the 0-30k band and 20.4% in the 150k+ band, a 14.9-point spread — more than double.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 2.1pp more often than petrol ones (10.6% vs 8.5%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 21.7% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 5.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 10.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.3% | 3,236 |
| 2 | Visibility | 3.9% | 2,875 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.5% | 1,875 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 2.2% | 1,645 |
| 5 | Steering | 0.7% | 491 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.5% | 363 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 2,061 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 2,021 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 1,830 |
| 4 | Washers | 1,494 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 726 |
| 6 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 530 |
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 | 21.7% | 16,222 |
| 2 | Brakes | 14.7% | 10,964 |
| 3 | Other defects | 6.2% | 4,594 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.9% | 2,198 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.9% | 1,408 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.0% | 761 |
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 | 29,383 | 5.5% |
| 30-60k | 34,285 | 10.3% |
| 60-90k | 9,045 | 13.4% |
| 90-120k | 1,531 | 14.1% |
| 120-150k | 301 | 14.9% |
| 150k+ | 98 | 20.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 59,624 | 8.5% |
| Diesel | 15,012 | 10.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14,769 | 5.4% |
| 2022 | 14,867 | 7.3% |
| 2023 | 15,055 | 9.5% |
| 2024 | 15,005 | 11.2% |
| 2025 | 14,953 | 10.9% |
What to check before buying a 2018 Civic
On a 2018 Civic, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 4.3% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Tyres (4.3% 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.
- Visibility (3.9% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
- Brakes (2.5% 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 2018 Honda Civics pass their MOT?
91.1% of the 74,649 2018 Honda Civic MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 8.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2018 Honda Civic?
Tyres, recorded in 4.3% of tests, followed by visibility (3.9%).
Does the 2018 Civic get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.5% in the 0-30k band to 20.4% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 74,649 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.