Honda Civic: suspension MOT failures
Suspension was recorded as a failure area in 8.9% of Honda Civic MOT tests — 159,434 tests out of 1,795,430. It shows up most on 2001 and 2003 cars.
Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair cost: £150–£450 per corner (rough UK ballpark, not a quote).
Suspension failures by year
| Model year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 482 | 9.3% |
| 1990 | 747 | 7.0% |
| 1991 | 1,451 | 9.3% |
| 1992 | 1,155 | 8.5% |
| 1993 | 1,289 | 7.1% |
| 1994 | 1,631 | 7.0% |
| 1995 | 2,694 | 7.5% |
| 1996 | 4,634 | 10.3% |
| 1997 | 6,968 | 9.2% |
| 1998 | 8,333 | 9.3% |
| 1999 | 11,353 | 9.0% |
| 2000 | 13,561 | 9.7% |
| 2001 | 36,440 | 14.9% |
| 2002 | 52,146 | 14.7% |
| 2003 | 60,010 | 16.0% |
| 2004 | 79,644 | 14.1% |
| 2005 | 94,963 | 13.2% |
| 2006 | 115,316 | 14.7% |
| 2007 | 169,829 | 14.2% |
| 2008 | 150,246 | 14.1% |
| 2009 | 131,586 | 13.2% |
| 2010 | 112,238 | 11.9% |
| 2011 | 72,561 | 10.2% |
| 2012 | 77,956 | 3.2% |
| 2013 | 88,859 | 2.2% |
| 2014 | 82,192 | 1.4% |
| 2015 | 84,612 | 0.9% |
| 2016 | 90,151 | 0.7% |
| 2019 | 55,919 | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 18,411 | 0.2% |
| 2021 | 10,544 | 0.3% |
| 2022 | 1,487 | 0.3% |
Methodology & source. 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.