2019 Honda Civic — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 55,626 MOT tests analysed for the 2019 Honda Civic, the most common recorded failure areas were tyres, visibility and brakes. Its pass rate of 92.2% was above the average for small family cars of a similar age (90.4%). Higher-mileage examples failed more often — 15.9% in the 150k+ group versus 5.1% in the 0-30k group.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 3.9% | 2,177 |
| 2 | Visibility | 3.5% | 1,943 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.4% | 1,352 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 2.0% | 1,129 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 0.4% | 217 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.2% | 116 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 1,549 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 1,478 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 1,412 |
| 4 | Washers | 935 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 581 |
| 6 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 307 |
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 | 21.6% | 12,022 |
| 2 | Brakes | 13.9% | 7,752 |
| 3 | Other defects | 5.8% | 3,213 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.0% | 1,657 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.2% | 686 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 0.9% | 498 |
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 | 26,558 | 5.1% |
| 30-60k | 23,341 | 9.6% |
| 60-90k | 4,736 | 12.3% |
| 90-120k | 787 | 13.9% |
| 120-150k | 159 | 15.1% |
| 150k+ | 44 | 15.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 45,347 | 7.2% |
| Diesel | 10,255 | 10.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 874 | 5.7% |
| 2022 | 13,713 | 5.2% |
| 2023 | 13,675 | 6.9% |
| 2024 | 13,614 | 9.1% |
| 2025 | 13,750 | 10.0% |
What to check before buying a 2019 Civic
Before buying a 2019 Honda Civic, focus on the areas it most often fails on. Tyres accounted for 3.9% of tests for this year.
- Tyres (3.9% 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 (3.5% 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 (2.4% 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 2019 Honda Civics pass their MOT?
92.2% of the 55,626 2019 Honda Civic MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 7.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2019 Honda Civic?
Tyres, recorded in 3.9% of tests, followed by visibility (3.5%).
Does the 2019 Civic get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.1% in the 0-30k band to 15.9% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 55,626 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-01. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.