Which model group has the lower recorded MOT failure rate: Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla?

Across 1,716,810 recorded MOT tests, the Toyota Corolla group has a 2.1 percentage point lower historical failure rate. The Honda Civic group rate is 31.4% and the Toyota Corolla group rate is 29.3%. These population statistics do not predict an individual vehicle's result.

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 highest complete component category 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?

This aggregate MOT comparison is not a buying recommendation. It describes recorded model-group outcomes, not the condition or likely result of a particular vehicle. Check the specific vehicle's MOT history and condition before deciding.

Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla — MOT Failure Rate Comparison

Honda Civic

31.4%

failure rate from 1,276,399 tests

4.5pp above the dataset reference (26.9%)

Toyota Corolla

29.3%

failure rate from 440,411 tests

2.4pp above the dataset reference (26.9%)

Recorded-rate result: The Toyota Corolla model group has a 2.1 percentage point lower historical failure rate than the Honda Civic group in this dataset.

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

Recorded Component Comparison

Side-by-side aggregate rates for MOT tests involving each component category. These are group statistics, not a diagnosis of either vehicle.

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	Lower rate
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 Has the Lower Recorded Failure Rate?

Based on official DVSA MOT test records covering 1,716,810 tests between these two models, the Toyota Corolla group has a 2.1 percentage point lower overall failure rate. The Toyota Corolla group rate is 29.3% compared with 31.4% for the Honda Civic group.

The age-band table shows whether that gap is consistent across the available groups. The highest recorded component category is lamps & electrics for the Honda Civic group and lamps & electrics for the Toyota Corolla group. Category rates show historical involvement in failed tests; they do not identify a fault on a particular vehicle.

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 percentages are weighted recorded category rates, not probabilities for an individual vehicle. The checked-in dataset contains 148,509,908 tests and 39,969,903 failures. Vehicle condition and history are not captured by these group comparisons.

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