MOT performance
Honda Accord diesel: MOT pass rate and common failures
Of 22,652 MOT tests on diesel Honda Accords in 2023–2024 (on average 14.5 years old at test, median 139,977 miles), 61.6% passed first time, against 60.1% of 33,856 petrol Honda Accord tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, diesel Honda Accords failed 9% less often than comparable cars — 0.91× against 0.91× for the Honda Accord as a whole.
22,652 MOT tests on 12,181 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto
Check a specific car's MOT history and running costsAt a glance
| Figure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| First-time pass rate | 61.6% | ±0.6 pts (95%), n = 22,652 |
| All Honda Accords | 60.7% | n = 56,534 |
| Failures vs similar cars | 0.91× | same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; Honda Accord overall 0.91× |
| Tests with a dangerous defect | 12.6% | n = 22,652 |
| Average age at test | 14.5 years | n = 22,652 |
| Registration years covered | 2001–2015 | DVSA first-use date |
Diesel against the other Honda Accord fuels
Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The diesel cars were tested 3.2 years younger on average than the petrol ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.
| Fuel | Tests | Average age | First-time pass | vs similar cars | Dangerous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 33,856 | 17.7 yrs | 60.1% | -9% | 10.6% |
| Diesel | 22,652 | 14.5 yrs | 61.6% | -9% | 12.6% |
Where diesel Honda Accords differ
- Noise, emissions and leaks: diesel Honda Accords failed 41% less often than the Honda Accord overall, relative to comparable cars (0.46× vs 0.78×).
- Body, chassis and structure: diesel Honda Accords failed 23% less often than the Honda Accord overall, relative to comparable cars (0.46× vs 0.60×).
| Area | Diesel (vs similar) | All Honda Accords (vs similar) |
|---|---|---|
| Lights, reflectors and electrical | 21.1% (+7%) | 21.3% (+2%) |
| Suspension | 14.4% (-20%) | 13.6% (-21%) |
| Brakes | 12.1% (-6%) | 11.6% (-9%) |
| Tyres | 7.8% (-4%) | 6.9% (-8%) |
| Driver's view of the road | 5.4% (-16%) | 6.3% (-10%) |
| Body, chassis and structure | 3.6% (-54%) | 4.9% (-40%) |
| Steering | 2.3% (-46%) | 2.5% (-35%) |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.3% (-54%) | 5.7% (-22%) |
| Seat belts and airbags | 1.3% (-50%) | 1.4% (-43%) |
| Road wheels | 0.8% (+16%) | 0.6% (+8%) |
| Registration plates and VIN | 0.6% (-4%) | 0.5% (-17%) |
Most common diesel Honda Accord failure items
| Item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 7.11% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 5.29% |
| Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 4.70% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 4.07% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 3.80% |
Pass rate by age, by fuel
| Age at test (years) | diesel pass rate (tests) | petrol pass rate (tests) |
|---|---|---|
| 7-8 | 82.6% (311) | 81.1% (222) |
| 9-10 | 74.4% (1,454) | 76.8% (622) |
| 11-12 | 68.3% (3,309) | 77.0% (1,282) |
| 13-15 | 62.7% (8,906) | 66.4% (6,303) |
| 16+ | 55.0% (8,672) | 57.0% (25,293) |
Honda Accord by registration year
Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.
- 2003 Honda Accord · 54.7%
- 2004 Honda Accord · 55.9%
- 2005 Honda Accord · 56.5%
- 2006 Honda Accord · 56.9%
- 2007 Honda Accord · 57.5%
- 2008 Honda Accord · 62.0%
- 2009 Honda Accord · 65.3%
- 2010 Honda Accord · 70.5%
- 2011 Honda Accord · 70.5%
- 2012 Honda Accord · 70.9%
What this does and doesn't tell you
Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.
Check a specific diesel Honda Accord
Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.
UK number plate or 17-character VIN
About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.