Know Your MOT
6.2%fail rate

Honda Nsa common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 2,065 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 6.2% of MOT tests recorded on the Honda Nsa in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is brakes, which makes up 25.8% of the Honda Nsa's failures, followed by brakes, tyres, lamps & electrical, other. 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

Brakes25.8% 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.

Tyres22.7% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

Lamps & electrical9.4% 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.

Other7.8% of failures

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

Suspension7.8% 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 & emissions2.3% 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.

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).

20085.8% fail · 347 tests
20095.1% fail · 785 tests
20106.9% fail · 665 tests
20118.5% fail · 235 tests

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 brakes failure: Honda Nsa brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Honda Nsa brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Honda Nsa brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Honda Nsa tyresSearch Amazon for Honda Nsa tyresaffiliate searchFind Honda Nsa tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Honda Nsa headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Honda Nsa headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Honda Nsa headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Honda Nsa suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Honda Nsa suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Honda Nsa suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Honda Nsa exhaustSearch Amazon for Honda Nsa exhaustaffiliate searchFind Honda Nsa exhaust 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 · DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain