2015 Honda CR-V — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2015 Honda CR-V passed 90.3% of its 79,501 recorded MOT tests. Mid-size SUVs of a similar age fail 15.8% of the time, so this is 6.1pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (3.7%) and lighting & signalling (3.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, brake pads and wipers — tread depth alone was recorded 1,563 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 14.5% versus 4.8%.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 8.8% of the time against 10.1% for diesel.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 21.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 7.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 12.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 3.7% | 2,946 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.5% | 2,775 |
| 3 | Brakes | 3.0% | 2,353 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.4% | 1,873 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.6% | 1,307 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.7% | 517 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 1,563 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 1,521 |
| 3 | Wipers | 1,494 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 1,320 |
| 5 | Washers | 704 |
| 6 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 621 |
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 | 21.9% | 17,372 |
| 2 | Brakes | 14.9% | 11,871 |
| 3 | Other defects | 7.8% | 6,188 |
| 4 | Suspension | 5.9% | 4,681 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 5.3% | 4,176 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.8% | 3,010 |
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 | 5,287 | 4.8% |
| 30-60k | 30,746 | 7.8% |
| 60-90k | 28,412 | 10.2% |
| 90-120k | 11,279 | 13.6% |
| 120-150k | 2,969 | 15.4% |
| 150k+ | 744 | 14.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 53,024 | 10.1% |
| Petrol | 26,477 | 8.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 15,646 | 7.5% |
| 2022 | 15,809 | 8.4% |
| 2023 | 15,993 | 9.8% |
| 2024 | 15,988 | 10.4% |
| 2025 | 16,065 | 12.0% |
What to check before buying a 2015 CR-V
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 3.7% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (3.7% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (3.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (3.0% 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 2015 Honda CR-Vs pass their MOT?
90.3% of the 79,501 2015 Honda CR-V MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 9.7% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 Honda CR-V?
Tyres, recorded in 3.7% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (3.5%).
Does the 2015 CR-V get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 4.8% in the 0-30k band to 14.5% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 79,501 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.