Honda Ballade common MOT failures and failure rate
What a Honda Ballade fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.
Based on 3,045 MOT tests in DVSA data.
About 36.8% of MOT tests recorded on the Honda Ballade in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.
Its most common failure is suspension, which makes up 41.4% of the Honda Ballade's failures, followed by suspension, lamps & electrical, other, seat belts. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.
What it fails on, and why
Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.
Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.
This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.
Seat-belt failures are frays, cuts, corroded anchorages, or a belt that will not lock under a sharp pull or retract properly.
Structural failures are corrosion in load-bearing areas, sharp edges, or insecure panels. These are inspection-and-welding jobs rather than a simple bolt-on part, so weigh them against the value of the car.
Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.
Failure rate by year
How the MOT failure rate varies by the car's year of first registration (older examples generally fail more as wear sets in).
The parts that fix each
If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.
Other models
Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data · DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain