Know Your MOT
28.1%fail rate

Honda Odyssey common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 19,241 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 28.1% of MOT tests recorded on the Honda Odyssey 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 47.4% of the Honda Odyssey's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, suspension, tyres, 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

Lamps & electrical47.4% 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.

Suspension21.2% 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.

Tyres19.5% 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.

Other18.0% of failures

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

Brakes16.2% 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.

Visibility/wipers13.1% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

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).

200427.7% fail · 860 tests
200530.1% fail · 1,215 tests
200629.6% fail · 1,010 tests
200730.9% fail · 1,610 tests
200825.6% fail · 1,342 tests
200925.6% fail · 790 tests
201025.1% fail · 630 tests
201119.5% fail · 421 tests
201221.7% fail · 336 tests
201317.3% fail · 295 tests
201415.8% fail · 652 tests
201522.0% fail · 528 tests
201613.6% fail · 455 tests
201722.8% fail · 382 tests
201819.4% fail · 252 tests
201918.5% fail · 243 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 lamps & electrical failure: Honda Odyssey headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Honda Odyssey headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Honda Odyssey headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Honda Odyssey suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Honda Odyssey suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Honda Odyssey suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Honda Odyssey tyresSearch Amazon for Honda Odyssey tyresaffiliate searchFind Honda Odyssey tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Honda Odyssey brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Honda Odyssey brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Honda Odyssey brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Honda Odyssey wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Honda Odyssey wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Honda Odyssey wiper blades 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