Honda Civic Reliability: Common Problems and Years to Avoid
What the Honda Civic fails its MOT on, with rough repair costs, and how each model year's MOT pass rate compares with other cars of the same age. Based on 507,314 MOT tests across 32 model years (DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024, retests included).
Segment: family car | Fuel: Petrol, Diesel
79%
Honda Civic pass rate
84%
Honda average
82%
All-model average
The Honda Civic has an average MOT pass rate of 79%, which is 5 points below the Honda average and 3 points below the average across all models in our data. Newer Honda Civics pass their MOT more often than older ones, by 6 percentage points on average, which is mostly down to age and wear.
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What the Honda Civic Fails Its MOT On
Of the 84,514 MOT tests on the Honda Civic that failed at the first attempt in 2025, the share that failed on each part of the test, next to the share for all cars and vans of the same ages. A test that failed on two areas counts in both.
Lights and electrics
53%Cars and vans the same age: 44% · Typical repair £15-£200
Suspension
33%Cars and vans the same age: 37% · Typical repair £150-£600
Brakes
24%Cars and vans the same age: 25% · Typical repair £80-£450
Tyres
19%Cars and vans the same age: 19% · Typical repair £50-£300
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors
16%Cars and vans the same age: 16% · Typical repair £10-£350
The 3 single faults it failed on most
- Position lamp: not working (17% of failed tests, lights and electrics)
- Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect (12% of failed tests, lights and electrics)
- Stop lamp: not working (10% of failed tests, lights and electrics)
Source: CarCostCheck analysis of DVSA anonymised MOT test results and failure items for 2025: first attempt at each MOT, fail and pass-after-repair defects, DVSA's defect categories (names shortened). Repair costs are rough UK ranges, not quotes. Method and national figures: MOT failure reasons 2025.
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Honda Civic Years to Avoid
Every car in the 2024 MOT data was tested at the same age as the other cars first registered that year, so each Civic year is compared with all cars from the same year. Years with 1,000+ tests that were at least three years old are included.
Failed more often than cars their age
A lower pass rate means that year failed its MOT more often in 2024; it does not mean every car from that year is bad. Old cars still on the road are often the best-kept ones, which can lift the pass rates of the oldest years. How a car has been looked after matters more, so check the MOT history of the car you are looking at.
Honda Civic Reliability by Year
MOT pass rate for each model year, from DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024 (retests included). Newer cars usually pass more often simply because they are younger. All Cars is the pass rate of every car first registered that year, with the gap in points. Highest and lowest are marked among years with 100+ tests that were at least three years old when tested. Fuel and engine size are a guide only.
| Year | Fuel | Engine | Pass Rate | Fail Rate | All Cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Petrol | 2.0L | 92% | 7% | - |
| 2020 | Petrol | 1.0L | 93% | 7% | 92% (+1) |
| 2019 | Petrol | 1.5L | 92% | 8% | 91% (+1) |
| 2018 | Petrol | 1.5L | 90% | 10% | 89% (+1) |
| 2017 | Petrol | 1.3L | 90% | 10% | 87% (+3) |
| 2016 | Petrol | 1.5L | 89% | 11% | 86% (+3) |
| 2015 | Petrol | 1.8L | 87% | 12% | 84% (+3) |
| 2014 | Petrol | 2.4L | 86% | 13% | 82% (+4) |
| 2013 | Diesel | 1.6L | 85% | 15% | 80% (+5) |
| 2012 | Petrol | 1.8L | 83% | 17% | 79% (+4) |
| 2011 | Diesel | 2.2L | 76% | 23% | 77% (-1) |
| 2010 | Diesel | 2.2L | 75% | 25% | 75% (0) |
| 2009 | Diesel | 2.2L | 74% | 25% | 75% (-1) |
| 2008 | Diesel | 2.2L | 72% | 27% | 74% (-2) |
| 2007 | Diesel | 2.2L | 72% | 27% | 73% (-1) |
| 2006 | Diesel | 2.2L | 71% | 28% | 73% (-2) |
| 2005 | Diesel | 2.2L | 73% | 26% | 73% (0) |
| 2004 | Diesel | 1.7L | 72% | 26% | 72% (0) |
| 2003 | Petrol | 1.4L | 70% | 28% | 72% (-2) |
| 2002 | Petrol | 1.6L | 72% | 27% | 73% (-1) |
| 2001 | Petrol | 1.6L | 70% | 29% | 73% (-3) |
| 2000 | Petrol | 1.4L | 77% | 22% | 74% (+3) |
| 1999 | Petrol | 1.8L | 75% | 24% | 75% (0) |
| 1998 | Petrol | 1.4L | 73% | 26% | 76% (-3) |
| 1997 | Petrol | 1.8L | 72% | 26% | 76% (-4) |
| 1996 | Petrol | 1.6L | 73% | 26% | 77% (-4) |
| 1995 | Petrol | 1.3L | 80% | 19% | 77% (+3) |
| 1994 | Petrol | 1.6L | 80% | 18% | - |
| 1993 | Petrol | 1.6L | 88% | 12% | - |
| 1992 | Petrol | 1.3L | 87% | 13% | - |
| 1991 | Petrol | 1.3L | 83% | 17% | - |
| 1990 | Petrol | 1.4L | 79% | 21% | - |
Honda Civic Running Costs
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Honda Civic FAQ
What are the most common Honda Civic problems?
In 2025, MOT tests on the Honda Civic that failed at the first attempt most often failed on lights and electrics (53% of the 84,514 failed tests), suspension (33%) and brakes (24%). The single most common fault was "Position lamp: not working" (17%). Across 507,314 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), 79% ended in a pass.
Is the Honda Civic reliable?
The Honda Civic has an average MOT pass rate of 79%, from 507,314 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included). Comparing each model year with all cars first registered the same year, so that age is allowed for, it passed within 1 point of other cars of the same age, so about average for its age.
Which Honda Civic years should I avoid?
Compared with all cars first registered the same year (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), the 1997 (72% of 2,947 tests passed, against 76% for all 1997 cars), the 1996 (73% of 2,065 tests passed, against 77% for all 1996 cars) and the 2001 (70% of 8,335 tests passed, against 73% for all 2001 cars) failed their MOT most often for their age. The years that passed most often for their age were the 2013 (85% of 24,777 tests passed, against 80% for all 2013 cars), the 2014 (86% of 23,400 tests passed, against 82% for all 2014 cars) and the 2012 (83% of 21,831 tests passed, against 79% for all 2012 cars). A year's pass rate does not tell you about one car, so check the MOT history of the car you are buying.
How much does it cost to fix common Honda Civic faults?
As a rough guide, brake work on a Honda Civic typically costs £80-£450 and suspension repairs £150-£600, while exhaust and emissions fixes can cost £80-£800. Lighting and wiper fixes are usually under £200.
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Other Honda Models
Common problems pages for other Honda models