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

Free Honda Civic Sr VTEC car check

Is the Honda Civic Sr VTEC reliable? We analysed 6,651 real MOT tests across 2,221 vehicles to find out.

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Data last updated: · Based on 6,651 real MOT tests
MOT Pass Rate
90.6%
Typical Mileage
27,892mi
Annual Mileage
6,804mi/yr
Est. Lifespan
yrs

The Honda Civic Sr 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 Sr VTEC.

Honda Civic Sr VTEC Number Plates

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

Honda Civic Sr VTEC MOT Pass Rate by Year

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

90.5%
2022
89.4%
2021
90.5%
2020

Honda Civic Sr VTEC Common Faults & Problems

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

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 118
Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick 50
Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick 24

Honda Civic Sr VTEC Mileage — What's Normal?

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

Low usage
4,543 mi/yr
Typical
6,804 mi/yr
Average
7,651 mi/yr
Heavy usage
9,812 mi/yr

Honda Civic Sr VTEC MOT Data by Registration Year

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

Year Tests Pass Rate Low Mi. Typical Mi. High Mi.
2022 116 90.5% 17,032 25,596 35,109
2021 2,650 89.4% 18,774 26,633 36,290
2020 3,026 90.5% 17,874 26,502 37,575

How Long Does a Honda Civic Sr VTEC Last?

Based on 2,221 Honda Civic Sr VTEC vehicles on UK roads.

Average
4.0 years
Median
4.0 years

Honda Civic Sr VTEC Mileage Distribution

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

Median
27,892 mi
75th Percentile
38,832 mi
95th Percentile
61,870 mi
Max Recorded
254,431 mi

Best Year to Buy a Used Honda Civic Sr VTEC

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

Best year
2020

90.5% MOT pass rate from 3,026 tests

Year to avoid
2021

89.4% MOT pass rate from 2,650 tests

The best year to buy a used Honda Civic Sr VTEC is 2020, which has the highest MOT pass rate at 90.5% across 3,026 tests. The 2021 model year has the lowest pass rate at 89.4% — 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 Sr 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 Sr VTEC THIS CAR 90.6% 6,651 27,892 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
Audi RS4 Avant 80.8% 7,553 83,260 mi 26 yrs

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

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Should you buy a used Honda Civic Sr VTEC?

The Honda Civic Sr VTEC has an overall MOT pass rate of 90.6% across 6,651 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 Sr 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 Sr VTEC owner drives around 6,804 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 Sr VTEC — Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Honda Civic Sr VTEC reliable?
Based on 6,651 MOT tests, the Honda Civic Sr VTEC has a 90.6% pass rate — above the UK average, suggesting good reliability.
What are the common problems on a Honda Civic Sr VTEC?
The most common failure point is general wear and tear.
How many miles does a Honda Civic Sr VTEC do per year?
The typical Honda Civic Sr VTEC does around 6,804 miles per year. Anything significantly above or below this is worth investigating.
How long does a Honda Civic Sr VTEC last?
Lifespan data is not yet available for this model.
Should I get a vehicle check before buying a Honda Civic Sr 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 Sr VTEC?
Based on MOT pass rates, the best year to buy a used Honda Civic Sr VTEC is 2020 with a 90.5% pass rate across 3,026 tests.