2020 Honda HR-V — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2020 Honda HR-V passed 95.7% of its 11,676 recorded MOT tests. Against small SUVs of a similar age (7.9% fail rate), the 2020 HR-V comes out 3.7pp better. Failures cluster in visibility, tyres and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — visibility (2.5%) and tyres (2.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, headlamp aim and brake pads — wipers alone was recorded 293 times.
A 90-120k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 13.2% versus 3.0%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 1.8pp more often than petrol ones (5.9% vs 4.1%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 18.6% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 0.0% of tests failed in 2022 against 5.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visibility | 2.5% | 288 |
| 2 | Tyres | 2.3% | 263 |
| 3 | Brakes | 1.3% | 152 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 1.2% | 143 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.1% | 18 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.1% | 12 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 293 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 165 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 140 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 138 |
| 5 | Washers | 59 |
| 6 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 29 |
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 | 18.6% | 2,175 |
| 2 | Brakes | 8.2% | 960 |
| 3 | Other defects | 4.8% | 555 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.2% | 254 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.1% | 125 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 0.2% | 22 |
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 | 8,142 | 3.0% |
| 30-60k | 3,214 | 6.6% |
| 60-90k | 269 | 12.3% |
| 90-120k | 38 | 13.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 10,360 | 4.1% |
| Diesel | 1,316 | 5.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 93 | 0.0% |
| 2023 | 3,887 | 3.1% |
| 2024 | 3,792 | 4.3% |
| 2025 | 3,897 | 5.5% |
What to check before buying a 2020 HR-V
On a 2020 HR-V, visibility is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 2.5% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Visibility (2.5% 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.
- Tyres (2.3% 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.
- Brakes (1.3% 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 2020 Honda HR-Vs pass their MOT?
95.7% of the 11,676 2020 Honda HR-V MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 4.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Honda HR-V?
Visibility, recorded in 2.5% of tests, followed by tyres (2.3%).
Does the 2020 HR-V get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 3.0% in the 0-30k band to 13.2% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 11,676 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.