2025 MOT results
Honda FR-V common problems
The most common reason a Honda FR-V fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 21.4% of its 2,734 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 5 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: structural corrosion at 15.9% of failures against 4.4% expected; a worn steering or suspension joint at 10.3% of failures against 3.5% expected; worn brake pads at 9.3% of failures against 4.4% expected.
- Tests in 2025 5,964 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 45.8% 2,734 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 13.5% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 75.7% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Honda FR-V MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Honda FR-V 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 | 21.4% |
| Component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Suspension | 15.9% |
| Linkage ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 10.3% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 9.4% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 9.4% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 9.3% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 7.1% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 6.9% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 6.6% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.5% |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.7% |
| Service brake performance: excessively binding Brakes | 5.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Sidelight out
21.4% of failures 13.8% expected 1.6 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.
-
Structural corrosion
15.9% of failures 4.4% expected 3.6 times as often
Corrosion in a structural area near a suspension, steering or seat belt mounting, which is a serious failure.
Look at the inner sills, rear spring seats and subframe mounts on cars over about 12 years old.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
10.3% of failures 3.5% expected 2.9 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.
-
Brake light out
9.4% of failures 9.4% 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.
-
Headlamp aim out of line
9.4% of failures 8.6% expected about as expected
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 brake pads
9.3% of failures 4.4% expected 2.1 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 FR-V, on 50.8% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is tyres, on 20.4% against 17.1% expected.
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 | 50.8% |
| Suspension | 41.5% |
| Brakes | 23.0% |
| Tyres | 20.4% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 18.8% |
| Visibility | 14.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 14.0% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 6.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
75.7% of Honda FR-V tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Honda FR-Vs, 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 | 25.8% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 16.9% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 14.9% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 12.3% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 10.7% |
| Linkage ball joint has slight play Suspension | 10.5% |
| Headlamp: product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 9.9% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.3% |
| Component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Suspension | 8.0% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 7.8% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 7.1% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 6.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Honda FR-V problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Honda FR-V?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 21.4% of failed Honda FR-V tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 50.8% of failed tests.
How often does a Honda FR-V fail its MOT?
45.8% of Honda FR-V tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 5,964 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 45 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Honda FR-V than on other cars?
Yes. “Component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength” appears on 15.9% of its failures against 4.4% for cars of the same age, and “Linkage ball joint excessively worn” appears on 10.3% of its failures against 3.5% 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 FR-V 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 | 5,964 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.