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1997 Honda Civic Vtec-e 1.5i — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age

29 years
Current Age
34.4%
Latest Pass Rate
195
Total Tests (All Years)
100,839 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 15

This car: 34.4%
Average: 52.4%

⚠️ 18.0% below average (11197 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1997 Honda Civic Vtec-e 1.5i as it ages.

12 yrs41.9%
13 yrs40.8%
14 yrs50.0%
15 yrs34.4%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 12 to 15 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
12 yrs41.9%74
13 yrs40.8%49
14 yrs50.0%40
15 yrs34.4%32

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1997 Honda Civic Vtec-e 1.5i pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows declining over 4 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2012 (15 yrs)34.4%32
2011 (14 yrs)50%40
2010 (13 yrs)40.8%49
2009 (12 yrs)41.9%74

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
41.9%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 74Avg Mileage 95,303Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 41.9%
2010High Fail Rate
40.8%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 49Avg Mileage 95,642Top Failure Suspension — 32.7%
2011High Fail Rate
50.0%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 40Avg Mileage 120,496Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 30.0%
2012High Fail Rate
34.4%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 32Avg Mileage 100,839Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 43.8%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1997 Honda Civic Vtec-e 1.5i, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
36.6%
— Consistent
Suspension
31.4%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
26.1%
↑ Increases with age
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions
20.0%
↓ Decreases with age
Tyres
19.7%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Tyres14.9% (12 yrs)34.4% (15 yrs)
+19.5%
🔴 ↑
Brakes20.3% (12 yrs)31.3% (15 yrs)
+11.0%
🔴 ↑
Suspension29.7% (12 yrs)40.6% (15 yrs)
+10.9%
🔴 ↑
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions25.7% (12 yrs)18.8% (15 yrs)
-6.9%
🟢 ↓
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment41.9% (12 yrs)43.8% (15 yrs)
+1.9%
⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Honda Civic Vtec-e 1.5i page →

About This Data

This page shows how Honda Civic Vtec-e 1.5i cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2012, covering 195 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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