How reliable is the Honda Freed compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Honda Freed, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 81.3% across 713 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 Freed?

The item recorded most often is "The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements", which appears in 17.6% of failed Honda Freed 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 Freed?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 13.0% of all Honda Freed tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Honda Freed usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 71,999 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.

Does a Honda Freed get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 9 to 11 years old, 92.1% of Honda Freed tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 66.7%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Honda Freed models petrol or diesel?

Of the Honda Freed cars tested, 50% are hybrid, 49% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Honda Freed MOT pass rate & common failures

From 713 recorded MOT tests of the Honda Freed, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 713 MOT tests, 81.3% of Honda Freed tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Honda Freed 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 aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, which appears in 17.6% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 71,999 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

81.3%unadjusted, not comparable713 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Freed. 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 713 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements17.6%
16 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
2.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning15.4%
14 occurrencesLamp not working explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements14.3%
13 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.Front or rear fog lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements11.0%
10 occurrencesLamp of the wrong colour, position or intensity explained
5.An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning11.0%
10 occurrencesLamp not working explained
6.A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps9.9%
9 occurrencesLamp not working explained
7.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc8.8%
8 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
8.Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow8.8%
8 occurrencesLamp of the wrong colour, position or intensity explained
9.An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning8.8%
8 occurrencesLamp not working explained
10.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen7.7%
7 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Honda Freed 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 requirements13.0%
92 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm6.2%
44 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged4.8%
34 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow3.8%
27 testsLamp of the wrong colour, position or intensity explained
5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements3.4%
24 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn1.8%
13 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
7.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured1.5%
11 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn1.4%
10 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

9–11 yrs92%

12–14 yrs85%

15+ yrs67%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Freed fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 71,999
Fuel mix of tested cars: Hybrid50.5%
Petrol49.1%

Check a specific Honda Freed

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 Freed compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Honda Freed, 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 81.3% across 713 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 Freed?: The item recorded most often is "The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements", which appears in 17.6% of failed Honda Freed 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 Freed?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 13.0% of all Honda Freed tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Honda Freed usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 71,999 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.
Does a Honda Freed get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 9 to 11 years old, 92.1% of Honda Freed tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 66.7%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Honda Freed models petrol or diesel?: Of the Honda Freed cars tested, 50% are hybrid, 49% are petrol. 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.