2025 MOT results
Honda Accord common problems
The most common reason a Honda Accord fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 19.2% of its 8,864 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 4 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: worn brake pads at 7.9% of failures against 4.2% expected; a worn steering or suspension joint at 10.0% of failures against 5.6% expected; headlamp aim out of line at 13.7% of failures against 8.1% expected.
- Tests in 2025 22,889 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 38.7% 8,864 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 10.8% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 67.0% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Honda Accord MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Honda Accord tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 19.2% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 13.7% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 10.0% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.6% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.6% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 7.9% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 7.4% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 6.8% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 6.0% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.7% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 5.5% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 5.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Sidelight out
19.2% of failures 12.8% expected 1.5 times as often
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Headlamp aim out of line
13.7% of failures 8.1% expected 1.7 times as often
The beam pattern points too high, too low, or in the wrong place, so it either dazzles others or lights too little road.
Nothing to do at the roadside, but a garage resets the aim in minutes; a sagging suspension corner or a heavy boot load can throw it out.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
10.0% of failures 5.6% expected 1.8 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Headlamp out
8.6% of failures 5.1% expected 1.7 times as often
A headlamp out on dipped beam, which is the beam the test checks.
Both bulbs age at the same rate, so a pair usually goes within months of each other.
-
Brake light out
8.6% of failures 9.0% expected about as expected
A brake light not working, from a bulb, a poor earth, or the switch on the pedal.
Reverse up to a wall or window at dusk and press the pedal to see all three lamps light.
-
Worn brake pads
7.9% of failures 4.2% expected 1.9 times as often
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Honda Accord, on 55.1% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 47.4%.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 55.1% |
| Suspension | 36.0% |
| Brakes | 28.0% |
| Tyres | 17.8% |
| Visibility | 15.9% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 13.9% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 13.4% |
| Steering | 6.1% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
67.0% of Honda Accord tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Honda Accords, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 20.9% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 12.3% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 11.9% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 11.2% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 8.7% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.4% |
| Headlamp: product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.5% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 6.2% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 6.1% |
| Linkage ball joint has slight play Suspension | 5.7% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 5.3% |
| Anti-roll bars: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 5.1% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Honda Accord problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Honda Accord?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 19.2% of failed Honda Accord tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 55.1% of failed tests.
How often does a Honda Accord fail its MOT?
38.7% of Honda Accord tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 22,889 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 52 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Honda Accord than on other cars?
Yes. “Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick” appears on 7.9% of its failures against 4.2% for cars of the same age, and “Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn” appears on 10.0% of its failures against 5.6% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Honda Accord aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 22,889 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.