Does the Honda Civic fail the MOT on suspension more than it should?
The Honda Civic records 22.50 suspension failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 20.97 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+1.53, 95% interval +1.46 to +1.60). It ranks 206 of 701 models on suspension (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on suspension · check a Honda Civic by registration
What exactly fails on suspension?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Honda Civic is “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn”, recorded 103,983 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 103,983 | 5.63 |
| A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 97,300 | 5.26 |
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 58,109 | 3.14 |
| A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage | 50,701 | 2.74 |
| The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 37,993 | 2.06 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,848,283 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Honda Civic gets a suspension advisory, how often does it fail next time?
27.6% of Honda Civic MOTs with a suspension advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 5,185 miles later (258,181 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 258,181 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Honda Civic 1998 · Honda Civic 1999 · Honda Civic 2000 · Honda Civic 2001 · Honda Civic 2002 · Honda Civic 2003 · Honda Civic 2004 · Honda Civic 2005 · Honda Civic 2006 · Honda Civic 2007 · Honda Civic 2008 · Honda Civic 2009 · Honda Civic 2010 · Honda Civic 2011 · Honda Civic 2012 · Honda Civic 2013 · Honda Civic 2014 · Honda Civic 2015 · Honda Civic 2016 · Honda Civic 2017 · Honda Civic 2018 · Honda Civic 2019 · Honda Civic 2020 · Honda Civic in Finland · Honda Civic in the Netherlands · Honda Civic in Norway · Honda Civic by postcode area · Honda Civic body, chassis and structure failures · Honda Civic brakes failures · Honda Civic vehicle identification failures · Honda Civic lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Honda Civic noise, emissions and leaks failures · Honda Civic road wheels failures · Honda Civic seat belts and airbags failures · Honda Civic steering failures · Honda Civic tyres failures · Honda Civic visibility failures