23.0%
Fluid leak
The vehicle is leaking a fluid — oil, coolant, fuel or hydraulic. A slight seep is common on older cars; a continuous drip is both a road hazard and a sign of something failing.
MOT wording: Oil leak, but not excessive
HondaUsed-car reliability
How reliable is a used Honda?
At 7 years old, the average Honda fails its MOT less often than the average UK car.
MOT fail rate · 7-year-old cars
Honda11.5%
UK average16.6%
Fails less often than the average 7-year-old car (about 1 in 6 MOTs, 16.6%)
Where to start
The lowest and highest fail rates in the Honda range
The Honda models whose MOT tests at 7 years old most and least often ended in a fail.
Lowest fail rates
- 1
Honda Jazz10.2%fail rate - 2
Honda HR-V10.3%fail rate - 3
Honda CR-V11.5%fail rate
What actually goes wrong
What breaks on Honda cars
The most common MOT faults across the Honda range, in plain English. Models with more MOT tests count for more. The percentage is the share of MOT tests on Honda cars that recorded that defect.
16.4%
Suspension joint, pin or bush
A suspension ball joint, pin, or rubber bush is worn or has excessive play. These are the pivot points and flexible mountings that let the suspension move — wear causes knocking sounds and vague steering.
MOT wording: Suspension arm pin or bush worn, but not moving too much
15.0%
Tyre condition
A tyre is worn, cut, damaged or otherwise not fit for the road. Tyres are the only thing connecting the car to the road, so this is always worth taking seriously.
MOT wording: Tyre worn close to the legal limit or worn on the edge
14.5%
Springs
A suspension spring is broken, cracked, corroded, or missing. This includes coil springs, leaf springs, and torsion bars. Springs support the car's weight — a broken one lowers one corner of the car and affects handling.
MOT wording: Coil spring corroded
Across all Honda models; models with more MOT tests count for more.
The whole range
Every Honda that ranks, in plain English
For each model, one number: the share of its MOT tests at 7 years old that ended in a fail. Retests count as tests. Lower is better. Every model here fails less often than the UK average (about 1 in 6 MOTs, 16.6%). Only models with enough MOT data at 7 years old are ranked. The rest sit just below, unranked.
4 models
Honda Jazz
The lowest 7-year fail rate of any Honda here.
10.2%fail rate at 7 years old
Honda HR-V
Among the lower fail rates in the Honda range at 7 years old.
10.3%fail rate at 7 years old
Honda CR-V
Among the lower fail rates in the Honda range at 7 years old.
11.5%fail rate at 7 years old
Honda Civic
Above the Honda average, but below the UK average.
13.9%fail rate at 7 years old
Fail rates are the share of MOT tests on 7-year-old cars ending in a fail, retests included (DVSA MOT results, 2025). UK average across all makes at the same age: 16.6%. How we count fail rates
Not directly comparable with the figures at 7 years old
Shown unranked. These models don’t have enough MOT data at 7 years old yet. They’re either too new (few cars old enough) or too old (few still on the road). Each is shown at the age with the most tests, so the percentages aren’t directly comparable to the list above.
Too new to rankHonda e
9.6%fail rate at 4 years old · 885 MOT tests
Too old to rankHonda Integra
14.6%fail rate at 25+ years old · 363 MOT tests
Too old to rankHonda S2000
15.3%fail rate at 21 years old · 813 MOT tests
Too old to rankHonda CR-Z
21.4%fail rate at 14 years old · 1,875 MOT tests
Too old to rank
Honda Stepwagon
21.9%fail rate at 14 years old · 547 MOT tests
Too old to rankHonda Prelude
25.4%fail rate at 25+ years old · 1,059 MOT tests
Too old to rank
Honda Insight
26.4%fail rate at 15 years old · 3,277 MOT tests
Too old to rankHonda Accord
30.8%fail rate at 18 years old · 3,446 MOT tests
Too old to rankHonda FR-V
33.3%fail rate at 17 years old · 2,169 MOT tests
Looking at one in particular?
Averages tell you the odds across the range. Enter a number plate to see that car’s own MOT history, its risk rating, and what’s likely to need attention.