How reliable is the Honda Fr-V compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Honda Fr-V, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 54.1% across 5,962 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What do testers most often warn about on a Honda Fr-V?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 34.4% of all Honda Fr-V tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Honda Fr-V usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 128,219 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Are most Honda Fr-V models petrol or diesel?

Of the Honda Fr-V cars tested, 64% are petrol, 35% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Honda Fr-V MOT pass rate & common failures

From 5,962 recorded MOT tests of the Honda Fr-V, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 5,962 MOT tests, 54.1% of Honda Fr-V tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Honda Fr-V fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, which appears in 32.0% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 128,219 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

54.1%unadjusted, not comparable5,962 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Fr-V. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 5,962 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Honda Fr-V tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired32.0%
686 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
2.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning21.4%
459 occurrencesLamp not working explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn18.4%
394 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements16.6%
356 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm12.8%
275 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced10.8%
232 occurrencesCorrosion in a structural area explained
7.A tyre cords visible or damaged10.6%
228 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
8.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements10.5%
225 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
9.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen7.9%
170 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
10.Body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point7.8%
168 occurrencesCorrosion in a structural area explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Honda Fr-V tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements34.4%
2,052 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened27.4%
1,634 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn22.8%
1,358 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm14.5%
866 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn14.2%
846 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured13.5%
806 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
7.Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow12.8%
764 testsLamp of the wrong colour, position or intensity explained
8.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired12.0%
718 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained

What gets tested

The Fr-V fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 128,219
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol64.5%
Diesel35.3%

Check a specific Honda Fr-V

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Honda models

Honda Jazz — 75.5% adjusted
Honda Civic — 74.8% adjusted
Honda Cr-V — 80.3% adjusted
Honda Hr-V — 78.6% adjusted
Honda Accord — 61.3% unadjusted
Honda Insight — 67.7% unadjusted
All Honda models

Common questions

How reliable is the Honda Fr-V compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Honda Fr-V, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 54.1% across 5,962 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Honda Fr-V?: The item recorded most often is "The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired", which appears in 32.0% of failed Honda Fr-V tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Honda Fr-V?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 34.4% of all Honda Fr-V tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Honda Fr-V usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 128,219 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Are most Honda Fr-V models petrol or diesel?: Of the Honda Fr-V cars tested, 64% are petrol, 35% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.