2020 Honda E Advance — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 2,465 MOT tests, the 2020 Honda E Advance recorded a 93.3% pass rate. All cars of a similar age fail 9.4% of the time, so this is 2.7pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in tyres, visibility and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.1%) and visibility (2.9%) 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 headlamp aim — wipers alone was recorded 70 times.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 23.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 5.5% of tests failed in 2023 against 7.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.1% | 125 |
| 2 | Visibility | 2.9% | 71 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 1.0% | 24 |
| 4 | Brakes | 0.4% | 10 |
| 5 | Road wheels | 0.1% | 2 |
| 6 | Other defects | 0.0% | 1 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 70 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 55 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 28 |
| 4 | Washers | 15 |
| 5 | Size/type | 7 |
| 6 | Windscreen | 7 |
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 | 23.2% | 571 |
| 2 | Other defects | 5.0% | 122 |
| 3 | Visibility | 2.0% | 50 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.7% | 42 |
| 5 | Road wheels | 0.3% | 8 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.3% | 8 |
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 | 2,116 | 6.2% |
| 30-60k | 331 | 9.7% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 812 | 5.5% |
| 2024 | 818 | 7.1% |
| 2025 | 834 | 7.4% |
What to check before buying a 2020 E Advance
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.1% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (5.1% 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 (2.9% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (1.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
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 2020 Honda E Advances pass their MOT?
93.3% of the 2,465 2020 Honda E Advance MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 6.7% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Honda E Advance?
Tyres, recorded in 5.1% of tests, followed by visibility (2.9%).
Does the 2020 E Advance get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.2% in the 0-30k band to 9.7% in the 30-60k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 2,465 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.