What are the main MOT differences between Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla?

The Honda Civic has a 31.4% overall MOT failure rate (1,276,399 tests) while the Toyota Corolla has 29.3% (440,411 tests). The top failure area for the Honda Civic is lamps & electrics, while for the Toyota Corolla it is lamps & electrics.

Should I buy a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla?

From an MOT reliability standpoint, the Toyota Corolla has a lower failure rate. However, MOT pass rates are just one factor — also consider insurance costs, fuel economy, running costs and personal preference. Use AutoSafe's free prediction tool to check a specific vehicle by registration.

Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla — MOT Failure Rate Comparison

Q: Which is more reliable, Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla?

Based on 1,716,810 MOT tests, the Toyota Corolla is more reliable with a 2.1 percentage point lower failure rate. The Honda Civic has a 31.4% failure rate while the Toyota Corolla has 29.3%.

Honda Civic

31.4%

failure rate from 1,276,399 tests

3.4pp above UK avg (28%)

Toyota Corolla

29.3%

failure rate from 440,411 tests

1.3pp above UK avg (28%)

Verdict: The Toyota Corolla is more reliable based on MOT data, with a 2.1 percentage point lower failure rate than the Honda Civic.

Failure Rate by Vehicle Age

How the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla compare across different age groups:

Age	Honda Civic	Toyota Corolla	Difference
0-2 years	7.3%	9.2%	Honda Civic +1.9pp
3-5 years	11.7%	10.9%	Toyota Corolla +0.9pp
6-10 years	19.8%	20.5%	Honda Civic +0.8pp
11-15 years	40.0%	34.1%	Toyota Corolla +5.9pp
15+ years	43.5%	39.5%	Toyota Corolla +3.9pp

Component Risk Comparison

Side-by-side breakdown of which MOT failure areas each model is weaker in:

Honda Civic Component Toyota Corolla

8.5%

Lamps & Electrics

8.0%

5.2%

Suspension

2.9%

4.1%

Brakes

4.9%

3.0%

Tyres

2.8%

2.7%

Visibility

3.5%

1.6%

Body & Chassis

1.8%

0.9%

Steering

0.3%

Component	Honda Civic	Toyota Corolla	Better
Lamps & Electrics	8.5%	8.0%	Toyota Corolla
Suspension	5.2%	2.9%	Toyota Corolla
Brakes	4.1%	4.9%	Honda Civic
Tyres	3.0%	2.8%	Toyota Corolla
Visibility	2.7%	3.5%	Honda Civic
Body & Chassis	1.6%	1.8%	Honda Civic
Steering	0.9%	0.3%	Toyota Corolla

Which Is More Reliable: Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla?

Based on official DVSA MOT test records covering 1,716,810 tests between these two models, the Toyota Corolla comes out ahead with a 2.1 percentage point lower overall failure rate. The Toyota Corolla fails 29.3% of the time compared to the Honda Civic's 31.4%.

However, the gap between these models varies by vehicle age. Younger examples of both models tend to have more similar pass rates, while differences can become more pronounced as vehicles age and accumulate wear. Component-level data shows each model has different weak spots — the Honda Civic's top risk area is lamps & electrics while the Toyota Corolla's is lamps & electrics. Knowing your model's specific weaknesses helps you target pre-MOT checks where they matter most.

Explore Each Model in Detail

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Data methodology: Failure rates are weighted averages across all mileage bands, calculated from official DVSA MOT test records. Only age/mileage combinations with 100+ tests are included. Component risks represent the probability of failure in each specific area. Data covers 142 million MOT tests across the UK. Comparisons are based on aggregate statistics and individual vehicle condition will vary.

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