2011 Honda Insight — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 10,534 MOT tests, the 2011 Honda Insight recorded an 84.4% pass rate. That is 7.2 percentage points better than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 22.8%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 13.8% of tests against 5.0% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp, position lamp and headlamp aim — headlamp alone was recorded 647 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2011 Insight fails 14.5% of the time in the 0-30k band and 16.4% at 150k+, a spread of only 1.9 points.
Fuel type barely separates them — electric fails 15.0% of the time against 16.0% for hybrid.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 13.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 18.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 13.8% | 1,448 |
| 2 | Tyres | 5.0% | 525 |
| 3 | Brakes | 4.8% | 507 |
| 4 | Suspension | 4.8% | 503 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.3% | 452 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.3% | 141 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp | 647 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 614 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 423 |
| 4 | Wipers | 362 |
| 5 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 288 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 280 |
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 | 24.1% | 2,535 |
| 2 | Brakes | 22.7% | 2,390 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 15.7% | 1,657 |
| 4 | Suspension | 14.6% | 1,535 |
| 5 | Other defects | 8.5% | 899 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.5% | 577 |
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 | 241 | 14.5% |
| 30-60k | 1,519 | 13.2% |
| 60-90k | 2,180 | 15.8% |
| 90-120k | 1,751 | 15.4% |
| 120-150k | 1,377 | 16.0% |
| 150k+ | 3,447 | 16.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 4,086 | 16.0% |
| Petrol | 2,766 | 15.3% |
| Other | 1,887 | 15.6% |
| Electric | 1,795 | 15.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,394 | 13.4% |
| 2022 | 2,111 | 14.8% |
| 2023 | 2,075 | 16.6% |
| 2024 | 1,982 | 15.4% |
| 2025 | 1,972 | 18.1% |
What to check before buying a 2011 Insight
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 13.8% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (13.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (5.0% 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 (4.8% 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 2011 Honda Insights pass their MOT?
84.4% of the 10,534 2011 Honda Insight MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 15.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2011 Honda Insight?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 13.8% of tests, followed by tyres (5.0%).
Does the 2011 Insight get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 14.5% in the 0-30k band to 16.4% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 10,534 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.