3,258 tests in 2025
Honda Stepwagon reliability and MOT pass rate
79.9% passed first time. The 20.1% fail rate is 2.5 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 14 years old with 83,492 miles.
Pass rate
79.9%
22.6% of all cars failed; 20.1% of these did.
Fixed on the day
5.6%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
83,492 mi
14 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 150 | — |
| 6-9 years | 296 | 20.6% |
| 10-13 years | 935 | 14.8% |
| 14+ years | 1,868 | 21.6% |
What the Stepwagon 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.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment4 dangerous57%
- Suspension8 dangerous37.9%
- Tyres139 dangerous18.8%
- Brakes90 dangerous18.7%
- Steering3 dangerous13.5%
- Visibility1 dangerous13.5%
- Noise, emissions and leaks9.8%
- Body, chassis, structure1 dangerous7.2%
Is the Stepwagon getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.7 points to 20.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 3.7 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,136 | 12 | 19.4% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 2,651 | 12 | 20.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 2,762 | 14 | 20.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 3,248 | 14 | 20.1% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Stepwagon 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 Stepwagon in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Position lamp: not working89 tests
- 2Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt84 tests
- 3Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect82 tests
- 4Rear fog lamp: not working79 tests
- 5Rear fog lamp: does not emit a steady red light67 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick67 tests
- 7Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively52 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm52 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Stepwagon collects 2.62 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.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm406 tests
- 2Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn323 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick308 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure221 tests
- 5Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine140 tests
- 6Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened131 tests
- 7Headlamp: has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced126 tests
- 8Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak88 tests
Questions
What is the Honda Stepwagon MOT pass rate?
79.9% of the 3,258 Honda Stepwagon first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 20.1% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 5.6% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Honda Stepwagon usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Position lamp: not working", recorded on 89 failed tests, followed by "Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" and "Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 57% of failures, suspension appears in 37.9% of failures, tyres appears in 18.8% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 32.7%; at 14+ years it was 21.6%. The median Honda Stepwagon tested in 2025 was 14 years old with 83,492 miles.
Is the Honda Stepwagon getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.7 points to 20.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 3.7 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
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 Stepwagon 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 Stepwagon?
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.