Honda HR-V reliability: what 98k MOT tests show
Across 98,176 MOT tests on Honda HR-V cars first used between 2001 and 2022, 88.1% passed first time. The figure for all cars is 71.7%. Allowing for age, the HR-V beats a typical car tested at the same age by 7.7 points. That is the fairer test, and it puts the model well above average. At its first MOT, at three years old, 94.8% of HR-Vs pass; the national figure for three-year-old cars is 87.9%. When a HR-V does fail, wipers not clearing the screen is the item recorded most often.
The HR-V's weak points
The HR-V's failures cluster around visibility and brakes: wipers not clearing the screen on 18.4% of fails, brake pads worn below 1.5mm on 15.9%. Percentages can add to more than 100 because one failed test often records several defects.
Wiper blades and washer fluid are two of the most common fails nationally, and the two cheapest to fix. Top up and replace before the test.
Advisories to expect on a HR-V
An advisory is the tester telling you what fails next year. On the HR-V the usual suspects are tyre tread below the legal minimum (12% of tests) and brake pads worn below 1.5mm (9.1%). How often each category of advisory turns into a failure is measured across the whole dataset.
HR-V pass rate by fuel
Among Honda HR-V cars, hybrid versions pass 95.3% of the time and diesel versions 84.5%, a gap of 10.8 points. Diesels tend to be bought for high mileage, which shows up at the test as wear. Hybrid versions are newer cars on average, so some of that gap is age rather than engineering.
| Fuel | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 88.8% | 65,755 |
| Diesel | 84.5% | 25,752 |
| Hybrid | 95.3% | 6,640 |
Pass rate by year of first use
Pass rates run from 58.7% for 2001 cars to 95.3% for 2022 cars. Most of that spread is age: a car tested at ten years old has had far more chances to wear something out than one tested at four.
| First used | Pass rate | Tests | Miles a year | First MOT pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda HR-V 2022 | 95.3% | 6,647 | 7,403 | 95.3% |
| Honda HR-V 2020 | 92.6% | 11,000 | 6,306 | 94% |
| Honda HR-V 2019 | 92.3% | 14,404 | 6,133 | – |
| Honda HR-V 2018 | 89.6% | 17,915 | 6,556 | – |
| Honda HR-V 2017 | 87.4% | 17,290 | 6,900 | – |
| Honda HR-V 2016 | 84.9% | 20,353 | 7,074 | – |
| Honda HR-V 2015 | 83.7% | 8,189 | 7,164 | – |
| Honda HR-V 2002 | 61% | 1,242 | 4,706 | – |
| Honda HR-V 2001 | 58.7% | 1,136 | 4,663 | – |
How mileage changes the HR-V's odds
On the 2016 cars, a HR-V under 40,000 miles passes 90.6% of the time; one over 100,000 passes 72.6%. When comparing two used HR-Vs, the odometer tells you more than the year.
| Mileage at test (2016 cars) | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 90.6% | 5,700 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 85.6% | 6,677 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 83.3% | 4,624 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 77.9% | 2,144 |
| Over 100,000 | 72.6% | 1,206 |
Honda stablemates and rivals
Set against the rest of the Honda range, which averages 72.1%, the HR-V at 88.1% is above par. Within the family, see Honda Jazz reliability (74.4%), the Civic (67.1%) and the CR-V (74.2%), or the Honda range at the MOT. Buyers weighing a HR-V against other cars of similar popularity often compare it with the Kia Soul (70.6%) and Skoda Kodiaq (88.1%). The ranking of every make puts them side by side, and the statistics for all 98 million tests give the baseline.
Failure lists and mileage by year
Each year opens to show its own failure list and pass rate by mileage.
Honda HR-V 2022 95.3% pass 6,647 tests95.3% at first MOT
On a 2022 Honda HR-V, wipers not clearing the screen appears on 22.2% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 18.4%.
2022 cars pass 95.2% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 90.9% at 80,000 to 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 95.2% | 6,249 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 96% | 347 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 92.5% | 40 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 90.9% | 11 |
Honda HR-V 2020 92.6% pass 11,000 tests94% at first MOT
On a 2020 Honda HR-V, wipers not clearing the screen appears on 28.4% of failed tests, with brake pads worn below 1.5mm next at 14.6%.
2020 cars pass 93.5% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 84.6% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 93.5% | 9,515 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 87.5% | 1,205 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 83.2% | 208 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 84.8% | 46 |
| Over 100,000 | 84.6% | 26 |
By fuel: petrol 92.8% (9,776 tests), diesel 91.1% (1,224 tests).
Honda HR-V 2019 92.3% pass 14,404 tests
On a 2019 Honda HR-V, wipers not clearing the screen appears on 21.1% of failed tests, with brake pads worn below 1.5mm next at 17.8%.
2019 cars pass 93.3% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 77.1% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 93.3% | 11,055 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 90% | 2,620 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 87.1% | 581 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 83.8% | 111 |
| Over 100,000 | 77.1% | 35 |
By fuel: petrol 92.5% (13,178 tests), diesel 90.2% (1,224 tests).
Honda HR-V 2018 89.6% pass 17,915 tests
On a 2018 Honda HR-V, wipers not clearing the screen appears on 23.4% of failed tests, with brake pads worn below 1.5mm next at 17.4%.
2018 cars pass 92% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 83.4% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 92% | 10,386 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 87.4% | 5,141 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 84.7% | 1,747 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 81.2% | 478 |
| Over 100,000 | 83.4% | 163 |
By fuel: petrol 90.2% (14,460 tests), diesel 87% (3,450 tests).
Honda HR-V 2017 87.4% pass 17,290 tests
On a 2017 Honda HR-V, brake pads worn below 1.5mm appears on 19% of failed tests, with wipers not clearing the screen next at 14.9%.
2017 cars pass 91.1% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 77.8% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 91.1% | 7,061 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 87.2% | 5,712 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 83.1% | 2,925 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 80.1% | 1,103 |
| Over 100,000 | 77.8% | 487 |
By fuel: petrol 88.6% (11,078 tests), diesel 85.3% (6,205 tests).
Honda HR-V 2016 84.9% pass 20,353 tests
On a 2016 Honda HR-V, brake pads worn below 1.5mm appears on 18.1% of failed tests, with wipers not clearing the screen next at 12.6%.
2016 cars pass 90.6% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 72.6% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 90.6% | 5,700 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 85.6% | 6,677 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 83.3% | 4,624 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 77.9% | 2,144 |
| Over 100,000 | 72.6% | 1,206 |
By fuel: petrol 86.8% (11,352 tests), diesel 82.5% (9,001 tests).
Honda HR-V 2015 83.7% pass 8,189 tests
On a 2015 Honda HR-V, brake pads worn below 1.5mm appears on 16.6% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 10.9%.
2015 cars pass 89.3% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 74.2% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 89.3% | 1,489 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 86.4% | 2,434 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 82.1% | 2,179 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 81% | 1,284 |
| Over 100,000 | 74.2% | 801 |
By fuel: diesel 82.4% (4,648 tests), petrol 85.4% (3,538 tests).
Honda HR-V 2002 61% pass 1,242 tests
On a 2002 Honda HR-V, a brake light not working appears on 15.9% of failed tests, with a sidelight not working next at 15.3%.
2002 cars pass 76.7% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 56.8% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 76.7% | 43 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 68.3% | 104 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 67.8% | 174 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 61.1% | 270 |
| Over 100,000 | 56.8% | 651 |
Honda HR-V 2001 58.7% pass 1,136 tests
On a 2001 Honda HR-V, body mounting corroded at a mounting point appears on 17.9% of failed tests, with a brake light not working next at 13.6%.
2001 cars pass 79.3% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 54.2% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 79.3% | 29 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 74.2% | 66 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 66% | 156 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 59.3% | 258 |
| Over 100,000 | 54.2% | 624 |
Questions people ask
Is the Honda HR-V reliable?
On MOT evidence the Honda HR-V is well above average. It passes 88.1% of tests against 71.7% for all cars, and beats cars of the same age by 7.7 points. 94.8% pass their first MOT at three years old. Figures from 98,176 DVSA tests.
What are the most common Honda HR-V MOT failures?
Wipers not clearing the screen (18.4% of failed tests), brake pads worn below 1.5mm (15.9%) and tyre tread below the legal minimum (10.2%). Wiper blades and washer fluid are two of the most common fails nationally, and the two cheapest to fix. Top up and replace before the test.
Which Honda HR-V year is the most reliable?
Among years with a large sample, 2022 cars have the highest pass rate at 95.3% and 2015 cars the lowest at 83.7%. Newer years pass more because they are younger, so compare a specific car's year against the table above rather than against the overall figure.
What advisories does a Honda HR-V usually get?
Tyre tread below the legal minimum is the most frequent, noted on 12% of all HR-V tests, then brake pads worn below 1.5mm (9.1%). An advisory passes the car today but marks the item most likely to fail next year.
How many miles a year does a Honda HR-V do?
About 6,697 miles a year on average, calculated from the odometer readings recorded at consecutive MOTs. That is close to the UK average of roughly 7,400.
How do I check a particular Honda HR-V?
The figures describe the whole fleet. For one car, enter its registration in the free MOT check to see its own test history, advisories and mileage, set against these averages for its year.
Own a HR-V?
Enter the registration to see its own MOT history, advisories and mileage set against these figures, including whether it has done more or fewer than the 6,697 miles a year typical of the model.
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 to 2025. Class 4 cars, normal tests only; a pass after rectification counts as an initial failure. Age-adjusted figures compare the model's pass rate at each age with the national rate at the same age. Methodology.