Honda Civic
From 440,153 MOT tests. Average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Civics fare better: 2021 models pass at 90% vs 79.9% for 1994.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a lamp missing and inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning. The top issue, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, caused 16,170 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 16,170 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 14,254 |
| a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 11,783 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 9,956 |
| a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 8,613 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 8,400 |
| the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 8,087 |
| a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | 7,348 |
| a suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 7,059 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 6,973 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 38.2% of failures are serious: 30% are safety issues (brakes, steering, tyre damage) and 8.2% could actually leave you stranded. That's close to the 44.4% average across all models. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £93.
The warranty question
A new Civic passes its MOT 90.8% of the time. By 7 years old that drops to 85.1%, a 5.7 percentage point fall, right as the manufacturer warranty runs out. At 10 years it's down to 77.9%. With an average repair bill of £93 when things go wrong, an extended warranty can make sense on a Civic that's past its third birthday.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 90% | wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, an obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2020 | 90.8% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2019 | 89.1% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2018 | 87.4% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
29 earlier years
| 2017 | 87.2% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2016 | 85.1% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2015 | 83.7% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2014 | 80.3% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2013 | 77.9% | a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2012 | 76% | a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2011 | 68.9% | stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2010 | 67.4% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2009 | 67.2% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2008 | 66.3% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2007 | 66% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2006 | 64.9% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2005 | 66.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2004 | 66.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2003 | 64.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 2002 | 66.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 2001 | 62.9% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2000 | 70.4% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 1999 | 70.1% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1998 | 65.8% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1997 | 67.5% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1996 | 69% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1995 | 77.3% | steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 1994 | 79.9% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1993 | 83.5% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1992 | 82% | steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 1991 | 77.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 1990 | 81.4% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 1989 | 92% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
Typical mileage
Half of all Civics tested had between 116,780 and 170,901 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 140,302 median miles, the Civic has 0.018 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Honda models
| Honda Jazz | 77.5% |
| Honda CR-V | 79.3% |
| Honda HR-V | 88.6% |
| Honda Accord | 69.6% |
| Honda Ww | 83.2% |
Common questions
What is the Honda Civic MOT pass rate?
The Honda Civic has a 74.1% MOT pass rate based on 440,153 real MOT tests. This is around the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Honda Civic?
The most common MOT failure on the Honda Civic is the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, which caused 16,170 failures. Other common issues include a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn.
What is the typical mileage of a Honda Civic at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Honda Civic is 140,302 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 116,780 and 170,901 miles.
Buying a used Civic?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 74.1% pass rate and an average repair bill of £93 when things go wrong, budget accordingly.
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MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.