Car statistics by year

2003 Honda Civic

Honda Civic cars first registered in 2003: how they did at their 2025 MOT, what failed them, how far they have been driven and how many are still on the road. Compared with every car first registered in 2003, so like is set against like.

A year of the Honda Civic. “2003” is the year of first registration.

Last updated
Records analysed
6,353 MOT tests of 2003 Honda Civic cars
Methodology
View methodology
  • MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 53.6% All 2003 cars 58.9%
  • Typical mileage at the MOT 104,800 miles; all 2003 cars 100,300
  • Left at the end of 2025 8,545 27.6% of the 30,950 at the end of 2014
  • Tests finding a dangerous defect 9.9% All 2003 cars 9.1%
  • Tests with an advisory 72.3% All 2003 cars 69.0%
  • MOT tests in 2025 6,353 normal tests in Great Britain

How do 2003 Honda Civics do at their MOT?

In 2025, at about 22 years old, 53.6% of 2003 Honda Civic MOT tests were passed first time, against 58.9% for all cars first registered in 2003. 2003 Honda Civics did worse than average for their age, by 5.3 points. A year earlier the same cars passed 53.2% of the time (all 2003 cars 57.4%).

MOT pass rate by year of first registration: Honda Civic vs all cars

Each pair of bars is one year of first registration, tested in 2025. Older cars pass less often, so compare each Honda Civic bar with the all-cars bar beside it.

MOT first-time pass rate in 2025 by year of first registration, Honda Civic compared with all cars
First registered Honda CivicAll cars
’97 60.0%68.5%
’98 60.3%67.1%
’99 62.6%65.4%
’00 64.6%63.1%
’01 55.9%61.5%
’02 55.1%59.7%
’03 53.6%58.9%
’04 57.0%57.9%
’05 56.5%57.7%
’06 53.4%56.9%
’07 54.0%57.3%
’08 53.8%57.0%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT failures on the 2003 Honda Civic

Position lamp: not working was the most common single reason a 2003 Honda Civic failed, on 18.5% of about 2,900 failed tests. By area of the car, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment failed most often (54.7% of failed tests; all 2003 cars 49.3%). 9.9% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 9.1% for all cars first registered in 2003. A failed test can have several defects, so shares add up to more than 100%.

Most common reasons for failure

Share of failed tests with each defect. The same fault on any wheel or side counts once.

Most common specific MOT defects on failed 2003 Honda Civic tests, 2025
Defect Share of failed tests
Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 18.5%
Component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Suspension 15.3%
Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 14.8%
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 10.4%
Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension 9.7%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility 9.2%
Service brake performance: excessively binding Brakes 8.5%
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks 7.6%
Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes 6.9%
Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension 6.2%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Failure categories: Honda Civic vs all 2003 cars

The marker shows the share for all cars first registered the same year.

Share of failed 2003 Honda Civic MOT tests with a defect in each category, with all 2003 cars for comparison
Category Share of failed tests
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 54.7%
Suspension 44.7%
Brakes 27.6%
Noise, emissions and leaks 16.9%
Visibility 16.4%
Body, chassis, structure 16.1%
Tyres 12.1%
Steering 7.7%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT advisories on the 2003 Honda Civic

An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 72.3% of 2003 Honda Civic tests had at least one (all 2003 cars 69.0%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.

Most common advisories

Most common MOT advisories on 2003 Honda Civic tests, 2025
Advisory Share of tests
Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension 17.4%
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres 17.0%
Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres 13.8%
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes 10.4%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes 10.0%
Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks 8.9%
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle 8.9%
Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes 7.9%
Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes 7.3%
Coil spring: corroded Suspension 7.0%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

What mileage is normal for a 2003 Honda Civic?

Half of the 2003 Honda Civics tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 104,800 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 79,600 and a quarter more than 131,900. For all cars first registered in 2003, the middle figure was 100,300 miles, so 2003 Honda Civics have been driven 4.5% further than average.

Mileage at the 2025 MOT

Odometer readings at each car’s latest MOT of the year. The bar covers the middle half of cars; the line the middle 80%.

Odometer readings at the 2025 MOT, 2003 Honda Civic and all 2003 cars, by percentile
10% 25% Median 75% 90% Cars
2003 Honda Civic 58,100 79,600 104,800 131,900 155,100 6,054
All 2003 cars 50,300 72,000 100,300 133,000 167,000 234,392
miles

Half of the 2003 Honda Civics tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 104,800 miles.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

How many 2003 Honda Civics are left?

At the end of 2014, 30,950 2003 Honda Civics were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom (these counts start in 2014). By the end of 2025, 8,545 were: 5,400 licensed and 3,145 declared off the road (SORN). That is 27.6% still on the record, against 23.0% for all cars first registered in 2003.

Share still on the record since 2014

Cars licensed or SORN at each year end, as a share of the number at the end of 2014. Cars scrapped or exported leave the record. Late registrations and imports can push the share above 100%.

2003 Honda Civics on the DVLA record at each year end as a share of the number at the end of 2014, compared with all 2003 cars
Year end 2003 Honda CivicAll 2003 cars
2014 100.0%100.0%
2015 95.3%91.9%
2016 90.3%82.8%
2017 81.4%71.0%
2018 71.4%59.8%
2019 61.9%50.5%
2020 53.5%43.6%
2021 45.3%37.0%
2022 39.9%32.6%
2023 35.6%29.2%
2024 31.2%25.6%
2025 27.6%23.0%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2025 Updated

Recalls that may affect cars built around 2003

8 of the Honda Civic’s 45 recalls in DVSA’s records cover cars built during 2003. 5 have no build dates, so could apply to any year.

The 2003 on this page is the year of first registration, not the year the car was built. A car first registered early in 2003 may have been built in 2002, and recalls apply to particular build dates and VINs, so check the recalls either side too.

Honda Civic recalls whose build dates include 2003
Launched Concern Built Vehicles
29 Aug 2019 Possible air bag inflator rupture 17 Dec 2003 to 9 Nov 2011 43 (all models)
29 Aug 2019 Possible air bag inflator rupture 17 Nov 2000 to 16 Dec 2014 122,397 (all models)
29 May 2019 Inner pressure of the inflator may irregularly rise upon airbag deployment rupturing the inflator container 10 Jul 2000 to 25 Jul 2007 9 (all models)
29 Jun 2015 Passenger side airbag may fail to deploy correctly 25 Dec 2003 to 29 Dec 2008 242,653 (all models)
16 Mar 2015 Passenger side airbag may fail to deploy correctly 2 Jan 2003 to 27 Dec 2003 31,135 (all models)
5 Jan 2015 Drivers airbag may rupture if deployed 10 Jun 2003 to 2 Sept 2004 12,723 (all models)
17 Apr 2013 Passenger side airbag may fail to deploy correctly 25 Oct 2001 to 4 Sept 2003 60,365 (all models)
16 Jun 2003 Possible damage to inner sidewall of tyre 3 Mar 2003 to 12 Mar 2003 288 (all models)

Every Honda Civic recall · Check a specific car on GOV.UK · How we match recalls

Recall details come from manufacturers through DVSA. “Vehicles” is the number the manufacturer reported; “all models” means the figure covers everything in the recall. A recall listed here may not apply to a particular car: only the manufacturer or GOV.UK can say for its VIN.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated

Other years of the Honda Civic

27 years of the Honda Civic, by year of first registration, have their own page with MOT results, common faults, mileage and how many are left. Against all cars of the same age, the 2014 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (75.9% passed first time) and the 1997 cars worst (60.0%).

Honda Civics by year of first registration
Year Registered Left Pass rate All cars
1996 1,768 63.6% 70.0%
1997 2,526 60.0% 68.5%
1998 2,827 60.3% 67.1%
1999 3,273 62.6% 65.4%
2000 3,601 64.6% 63.1%
2001 5,413 55.9% 61.5%
2002 7,655 55.1% 59.7%
2003 8,545 53.6% 58.9%
2004 11,194 57.0% 57.9%
2005 12,978 56.5% 57.7%
2006 12,582 53.4% 56.9%
2007 19,692 54.0% 57.3%
2008 18,312 53.8% 57.0%
2009 17,391 54.3% 58.2%
2010 15,694 54.9% 59.3%
2011 10,828 57.4% 61.5%
2012 13,005 69.0% 63.6%
2013 15,264 71.6% 66.0%
2014 15,318 14,500 75.9% 69.1%
2015 15,652 15,129 79.3% 72.6%
2016 16,591 16,265 80.8% 75.6%
2017 15,314 14,617 83.3% 79.1%
2018 14,746 13,958 84.9% 81.8%
2019 12,963 12,425 86.0% 84.4%
2020 5,724 5,539 87.0% 86.9%
2021 4,912 4,935 88.0% 88.4%
2022 1,439 1,365 93.7% 89.4%

Registered: cars on the DVLA record at the end of the year they were first registered (these counts start in 2014, so older years show a dash). Left: licensed or declared SORN at the end of 2025. Both cover the United Kingdom. Pass rate: first-time passes at normal MOT tests in Great Britain in 2025; all cars: every car first registered the same year.

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
MOT results and mileage Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Derived statistics UK Motoring
2025 6,353 MOT tests of 2003 Honda Civic cars 15 September 2026
Cars on the record Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of 2025 8,545 cars still on the record (licensed or SORN) 15 September 2026
  • MOT figures cover normal tests in Great Britain in 2025 of Honda Civic cars first registered in 2003; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 2003.
  • Year of first registration is DVSA’s first-use date: when the car was first registered, in the UK or abroad.
  • Defects and advisories are DVSA’s descriptions made readable. Where on the car a defect was found (side, front or rear) is ignored, so the same fault on any wheel counts once per test.
  • Mileage is the odometer reading at each car’s latest normal MOT of the year, as recorded by the tester. A few readings are in kilometres or mistyped; percentiles are not thrown by a handful of outliers.
  • Cars on the record come from DfT table VEH0124 and cover the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland; MOT figures cover Great Britain only.
  • DVSA records the model name typed in at the test. We match those names to DVLA’s generic models, so a handful of tests may be counted under a close relative.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.