Honda Cr-Z MOT pass rate & common failures
22,610 MOT tests on the Honda Cr-Z (2008–2025) give it an 83.3% pass rate. Against all cars of a similar age (22.9% fail rate), the Cr-Z comes out 6.2pp better. Its most common failure areas are brakes, suspension and tyres.
Best and worst Cr-Z years
Ranked across Cr-Z years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
The strongest year on this record is 2013 (85.7% pass rate); the weakest is 2010 (82.3%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — brakes (7.2%) and suspension (5.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are service brake performance, brake pads and wipers — service brake performance alone was recorded 823 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 9.8% in the 0-30k band and 23.0% in the 150k+ band, a 13.2-point spread — more than double.
The hybrid cars hold up better: 15.8% fail against 17.6% for petrol, a 1.8-point gap across 15,801 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 24.5% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 14.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 19.2% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Cr-Z model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 7,683 | 82.3% | 17.7% | Brakes |
| 2011 | 8,461 | 82.6% | 17.4% | Brakes |
| 2012 | 3,640 | 84.2% | 15.8% | Brakes |
| 2013 | 1,712 | 85.7% | 14.3% | Brakes |
| 2014 | 933 | 88.8% | 11.3% | Brakes |
| 2015 | 124 | 96.0% | 4.0% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 7.2% | 1,631 |
| 2 | Suspension | 5.7% | 1,289 |
| 3 | Tyres | 4.3% | 966 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 3.8% | 857 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.0% | 678 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.9% | 428 |
| 7 | Steering | 1.0% | 227 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 0.6% | 129 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Service brake performance | 823 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 577 |
| 3 | Wipers | 557 |
| 4 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 506 |
| 5 | Rbt (sp) | 471 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 442 |
| 7 | Headlamp aim | 427 |
| 8 | Ball joint dust cover | 328 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 24.5% | 5,546 |
| 2 | Tyres | 22.9% | 5,176 |
| 3 | Suspension | 19.1% | 4,320 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 6.0% | 1,361 |
| 5 | Steering | 5.8% | 1,313 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.3% | 1,189 |
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 | 910 | 9.8% |
| 30-60k | 4,512 | 12.3% |
| 60-90k | 7,775 | 16.3% |
| 90-120k | 5,844 | 19.2% |
| 120-150k | 2,495 | 19.6% |
| 150k+ | 1,052 | 23.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 8,152 | 15.8% |
| Petrol | 7,649 | 17.6% |
| Other | 3,609 | 16.5% |
| Electric | 3,159 | 17.0% |
| Diesel | 41 | 12.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,526 | 14.5% |
| 2022 | 4,517 | 14.9% |
| 2023 | 4,577 | 17.4% |
| 2024 | 4,463 | 17.5% |
| 2025 | 4,527 | 19.2% |
What to check before buying a Honda Cr-Z
- Brakes (7.2% 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.
- Suspension (5.7% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- 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.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Honda Cr-Z?
83.3% of the 22,610 Honda Cr-Z MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 16.7% fail rate, across model years 2008–2025.
What does the Honda Cr-Z most often fail its MOT on?
Brakes, recorded in 7.2% of tests, then suspension (5.7%).
Which Cr-Z years are best and worst for MOT results?
2013 has the best pass rate at 85.7% and 2010 the weakest at 82.3%, from 1,712 and 7,683 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Cr-Z MOT results?
Fail rates run at 9.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 23.0% for 150k+, a 13.2-point difference.
Is the hybrid or petrol Cr-Z more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 15.8% of the time against 17.6% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 22,610 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.