Honda Civic MOT pass rate and common failures
Of 237,323 class-4 normal initial MOT tests in 2024, 67% passed without an initial fail or PRS repair — below the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 87.1% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 55.3% aged 15–30 years.
Checking a Honda Civic?
Model-level statistics cannot reveal the condition or provenance of one car.
Check its registration free for the actual MOT, tax and mileage record. Before buying, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.
Pass rate by vehicle age
| Age | Tests | Initial pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3–5 years | 15,674 | 87.1% |
| 6–9 years | 54,988 | 83% |
| 10–14 years | 61,170 | 67.5% |
| 15–30 years | 105,491 | 55.3% |
Common initial failure categories
These are the items that most often caused a Honda Civic to fail its first test, with what each one usually means for a buyer.
- Headlamp Aim — 6.1% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- Position Lamps — 5.6% of tests. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.
- Headlamps — 4.8% of tests. A headlight fault, from a blown bulb to a failed unit.
- Anti-roll Bars — 4.2% of tests. Worn anti-roll bar links or bushes. Inexpensive but often recurring.
- Brake Performance — 3.8% of tests. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
- Stop Lamp — 3.7% of tests. A brake light out. Usually a bulb.
What this does and does not tell you
A pass rate describes how a population of cars behaved on test day. It says nothing about how one car was driven, serviced or repaired, and an MOT does not cover the engine, clutch or gearbox at all.
Use it to know what to look for: if tyres and brakes dominate the list, price those in; if corrosion or suspension appears, get underneath the car. Then check the individual vehicle — its MOT history shows whether these same items have been advised year after year, and its mileage record shows whether the reading is consistent.
How many Honda Civic are left?
At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 246,926 licensed and 47,089 SORN vehicles in the Honda Civic generic-model group.
Licensed and SORN trend for the Honda Civic
Before you buy
- Headlamp Aim — 6.1% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- Position Lamps — 5.6% of tests in 2024. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.
- Headlamps — 4.8% of tests in 2024. A headlight fault, from a blown bulb to a failed unit.
- Anti-roll Bars — 4.2% of tests in 2024. Worn anti-roll bar links or bushes. Inexpensive but often recurring.
- Budget for a shrinking fleet — Licensed numbers are down 42% from the 2014 Q3 peak of 426,583. Fewer cars on the road usually means fewer donor parts and fewer specialists.
- Check the actual Civic — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.
Other Honda models
- Honda Jazz — 72.7% pass
- Honda Cr-v — 74% pass
- Honda Hr-v — 86.8% pass
- Honda Accord — 60.5% pass
- Honda Insight — 68.8% pass
- Honda Fr-v — 54.5% pass
See every Honda model MOT pass rate
Common questions
What is the Honda Civic MOT pass rate?
67% of 237,323 class-4 initial MOT tests on the Honda Civic passed first time in 2024 — below the 71.2% UK average.
Why does the Civic fail its MOT?
The most common initial failure categories are headlamp aim (6.1% of tests), position lamps (5.6% of tests), headlamps (4.8% of tests), anti-roll bars (4.2% of tests).
How many Honda Civic are left in the UK?
246,926 were licensed and 47,089 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.
Does this tell me whether one particular Civic is a good buy?
No. These are population statistics. Enter that car's registration for its own MOT, tax and mileage record, then check outstanding finance, write-off and stolen markers before buying.
Methodology and limitations
MOT outcomes describe testable items at the time of inspection. They are not a measure of overall mechanical reliability.
Scope: Class 4 normal initial MOT tests completed in 2024. Models require at least 1,000 qualifying tests. Duplicate source rows are removed using official DVSA test IDs.
Source: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency anonymised MOT tests and results, 2024, published 2025-05-23 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Check the actual car
Enter the registration for that car's own free MOT, tax and mileage record. Before money changes hands, the £9.99 full history check adds outstanding finance, insurance write-off and stolen checks.