3,533 tests in 2025
Honda Cr-Z reliability and MOT pass rate
76.7% passed first time. The 23.3% fail rate is 0.7 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 14 years old with 93,384 miles.
Pass rate
76.7%
22.6% of all cars failed; 23.3% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.3%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
93,384 mi
14 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 3 | — |
| 6-9 years | 3 | — |
| 10-13 years | 1,027 | 21.7% |
| 14+ years | 2,498 | 24% |
What the Cr-Z fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Brakes123 dangerous39.2%
- Suspension5 dangerous38.9%
- Tyres165 dangerous20.5%
- Body, chassis, structure4 dangerous14.6%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment2 dangerous13.6%
- Visibility1 dangerous9.2%
- Steering2 dangerous8.5%
- Noise, emissions and leaks3.6%
Is the Cr-Z getting worse?
The fail rate rose 6.2 points to 23.3% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (5.9 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3,906 | 11 | 17.1% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 3,862 | 12 | 20.5% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 3,368 | 13 | 20.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 3,532 | 14 | 23.3% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Cr-Z at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Cr-Z in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements101 tests
- 2Service brake performance: excessively binding100 tests
- 3Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt85 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick84 tests
- 5Ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt65 tests
- 6Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn54 tests
- 7Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases50 tests
- 8Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn49 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Cr-Z collects 2.64 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened548 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm442 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure360 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick291 tests
- 5Service brake performance: excessively binding230 tests
- 6Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened206 tests
- 7Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn148 tests
- 8Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases138 tests
Questions
What is the Honda Cr-Z MOT pass rate?
76.7% of the 3,533 Honda Cr-Z first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 23.3% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.3% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Honda Cr-Z usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements", recorded on 101 failed tests, followed by "Service brake performance: excessively binding" and "Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt". By section, brakes appears in 39.2% of failures, suspension appears in 38.9% of failures, tyres appears in 20.5% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 0%; at 14+ years it was 24%. The median Honda Cr-Z tested in 2025 was 14 years old with 93,384 miles.
Is the Honda Cr-Z getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 6.2 points to 23.3% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (5.9 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Cr-Z trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Honda models
Checking a particular Cr-Z?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.