Know Your MOT
18.6%fail rate

Honda Custom common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Honda Custom fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 242 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 18.6% of MOT tests recorded on the Honda Custom in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is lamps & electrical, which makes up 26.7% of the Honda Custom's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, brakes, other, suspension. 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

Lamps & electrical26.7% of failures

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.

Brakes20.0% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Other13.3% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

Suspension8.9% of failures

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.

Exhaust & emissions8.9% of failures

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.

Registration plate8.9% of failures

A missing, damaged, dirty or incorrectly-spaced number plate, or one using the wrong font, will fail. A replacement plate is inexpensive.

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.

For the lamps & electrical failure: Honda Custom headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Honda Custom headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Honda Custom headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Honda Custom brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Honda Custom brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Honda Custom brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Honda Custom suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Honda Custom suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Honda Custom suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Honda Custom exhaustSearch Amazon for Honda Custom exhaustaffiliate searchFind Honda Custom exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the registration plate failure: Honda Custom number plateSearch Amazon for Honda Custom number plateaffiliate searchFind Honda Custom number plate on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Honda Civic MOT failures26.3% failure rateHonda Jazz MOT failures18.9% failure rateHonda Cr-V MOT failures21.4% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain