2013 Honda Jazz — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2013 Honda Jazz passed 88.5% of its 117,023 recorded MOT tests. Against superminis of a similar age (21.2% fail rate), the 2013 Jazz comes out 9.7pp better. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, visibility and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (5.7%) and visibility (3.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, position lamp and brake pads — wipers alone was recorded 3,820 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 22.1% versus 7.1%.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 11.5% of the time against 11.6% for hybrid.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 23.2% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 9.2% of tests failed in 2021 against 13.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 5.7% | 6,708 |
| 2 | Visibility | 3.9% | 4,548 |
| 3 | Brakes | 3.8% | 4,428 |
| 4 | Tyres | 3.5% | 4,088 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.9% | 3,394 |
| 6 | Steering | 0.6% | 655 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 3,820 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 3,796 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 3,028 |
| 4 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 1,922 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 1,808 |
| 6 | Washers | 1,558 |
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% | 27,109 |
| 2 | Brakes | 20.3% | 23,695 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.9% | 9,255 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.8% | 7,913 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 4.1% | 4,790 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.0% | 4,665 |
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 | 20,614 | 7.1% |
| 30-60k | 54,928 | 10.4% |
| 60-90k | 30,128 | 13.9% |
| 90-120k | 8,869 | 18.0% |
| 120-150k | 1,980 | 20.4% |
| 150k+ | 494 | 22.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 112,815 | 11.5% |
| Hybrid | 4,162 | 11.6% |
| Other | 34 | 2.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 22,639 | 9.2% |
| 2022 | 22,883 | 10.3% |
| 2023 | 23,291 | 11.6% |
| 2024 | 23,852 | 12.6% |
| 2025 | 24,358 | 13.9% |
What to check before buying a 2013 Jazz
On a 2013 Jazz, lighting & signalling is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 5.7% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Lighting & signalling (5.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (3.9% 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.
- Brakes (3.8% 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 2013 Honda Jazzs pass their MOT?
88.5% of the 117,023 2013 Honda Jazz MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 11.5% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2013 Honda Jazz?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 5.7% of tests, followed by visibility (3.9%).
Does the 2013 Jazz get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.1% in the 0-30k band to 22.1% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 117,023 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.