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Honda Civic Ex VTEC Reliability, MOT Pass Rate & Common Faults

Free Honda Civic Ex VTEC car check

Is the Honda Civic Ex VTEC reliable? We analysed 1,476 real MOT tests across 520 vehicles to find out.

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Data last updated: · Based on 1,476 real MOT tests
MOT Pass Rate
92.2%
Typical Mileage
26,237mi
Annual Mileage
6,422mi/yr
Est. Lifespan
yrs

The Honda Civic Ex VTEC is above average for reliability based on real UK MOT data. Here's everything you need to know before buying a used Honda Civic Ex VTEC.

Honda Civic Ex VTEC Number Plates

Number plates registered to a Honda Civic Ex VTEC. Click on any registration for full vehicle details — including MOT history, mileage records, previous owners and damage history.

Honda Civic Ex VTEC MOT Pass Rate by Year

How likely is a Honda Civic Ex VTEC to pass its MOT? Here's the pass rate for each registration year, newest first.

92.2%
2021
92.1%
2020

Honda Civic Ex VTEC Common Faults & Problems

These are the most common serious faults found on Honda Civic Ex VTEC models during MOT testing — flagged as dangerous or major failures that need immediate attention.

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 16
Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick 7
Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick 4
Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick 3

Honda Civic Ex VTEC Mileage — What's Normal?

How many miles does a typical Honda Civic Ex VTEC owner drive per year? Use this to check if a car you're looking at has suspiciously low or high mileage.

Low usage
4,220 mi/yr
Typical
6,422 mi/yr
Average
7,795 mi/yr
Heavy usage
9,273 mi/yr

Honda Civic Ex VTEC MOT Data by Registration Year

Full breakdown of pass rate and mileage for each year. Use this to compare the Honda Civic Ex VTEC year you're looking at.

Year Tests Pass Rate Low Mi. Typical Mi. High Mi.
2021 728 92.2% 16,414 24,230 33,848
2020 519 92.1% 17,344 26,423 36,638

How Long Does a Honda Civic Ex VTEC Last?

Based on 520 Honda Civic Ex VTEC vehicles on UK roads.

Average
3.9 years
Median
4.0 years

Honda Civic Ex VTEC Mileage Distribution

Total mileage recorded across all Honda Civic Ex VTEC MOT tests. If the car you're looking at is above the 75th percentile, it's done more miles than most.

Median
26,237 mi
75th Percentile
36,621 mi
95th Percentile
58,805 mi
Max Recorded
120,447 mi

Best Year to Buy a Used Honda Civic Ex VTEC

Based on MOT pass rates across all registration years with sufficient test data.

Best year
2021

92.2% MOT pass rate from 728 tests

Year to avoid
2020

92.1% MOT pass rate from 519 tests

The best year to buy a used Honda Civic Ex VTEC is 2021, which has the highest MOT pass rate at 92.2% across 728 tests. The 2020 model year has the lowest pass rate at 92.1% — if you're looking at one from that year, budget for potential repairs and get a thorough pre-purchase inspection.

How Does the Honda Civic Ex VTEC Compare?

MOT pass rates compared to similar models. Click any model for the full breakdown.

Model Pass Rate Tests Typical Mileage Lifespan
Honda Civic Ex VTEC THIS CAR 92.2% 1,476 26,237 mi — yrs
Honda Civic 73.7% 9,391,580 74,987 mi 34 yrs
Honda Jazz 81% 5,740,892 48,635 mi 24 yrs
Honda Cr-v 78.5% 4,177,643 80,499 mi 29 yrs
Nissan NV400 Acenta DCI 74.4% 2,887 58,466 mi — yrs

Compared to the Honda Civic (73.7% pass rate) and the Honda Jazz (81.0% pass rate), the Honda Civic Ex VTEC outperforms both on MOT reliability.

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Should you buy a used Honda Civic Ex VTEC?

The Honda Civic Ex VTEC has an overall MOT pass rate of 92.2% across 1,476 real MOT tests — comfortably above the UK average, which puts it among the more reliable models on UK roads.

On the safety side, the most frequently flagged dangerous fault is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Dangerous faults cause an immediate MOT failure and mean the vehicle is not roadworthy until repaired. If you're viewing a Honda Civic Ex VTEC with an expired or recently passed MOT, ask the seller whether any dangerous faults were found and fixed during the last test.

A typical Honda Civic Ex VTEC owner drives around 6,422 miles per year. If the car you're looking at is significantly above this, expect more wear on suspension, brakes and tyres. If it's well below, the vehicle may have been sitting unused — check for perished rubber, corroded discs and stale fluids.

Before committing to a purchase, we recommend running a full vehicle history check on the specific car. This will reveal any outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies that the seller may not disclose — and that the MOT data alone can't tell you.

Honda Civic Ex VTEC — Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Honda Civic Ex VTEC reliable?
Based on 1,476 MOT tests, the Honda Civic Ex VTEC has a 92.2% pass rate — above the UK average, suggesting good reliability.
What are the common problems on a Honda Civic Ex VTEC?
The most common failure point is general wear and tear.
How many miles does a Honda Civic Ex VTEC do per year?
The typical Honda Civic Ex VTEC does around 6,422 miles per year. Anything significantly above or below this is worth investigating.
How long does a Honda Civic Ex VTEC last?
Lifespan data is not yet available for this model.
Should I get a vehicle check before buying a Honda Civic Ex VTEC?
Yes. An MOT pass rate tells you about the model in general, but a vehicle history check reveals the specific car's finance, stolen, write-off and mileage history — things the seller may not disclose.
What is the best year to buy a Honda Civic Ex VTEC?
Based on MOT pass rates, the best year to buy a used Honda Civic Ex VTEC is 2021 with a 92.2% pass rate across 728 tests.