1988 Honda Civic — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1988 perform at MOT as they age

38 years

Current Age

69.4%

Latest Pass Rate

858

Total Tests (All Years)

70,271 mi

Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1988 Honda Civic as it ages.

21 yrs43.8%

→ ↑3.2%

22 yrs47.0%

→ ↓0.0%

23 yrs47.0%

→ ↑3.0%

24 yrs50.0%

→ ↑5.9%

25 yrs55.9%

→ ↓0.9%

26 yrs55.0%

→ ↑6.9%

27 yrs61.9%

→ ↓8.6%

28 yrs53.3%

→ ↑16.1%

29 yrs69.4%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
21 yrs	43.8%	251
22 yrs	47.0%	166
23 yrs	47.0%	115
24 yrs	50.0%	90
25 yrs	55.9%	68
26 yrs	55.0%	60
27 yrs	61.9%	42
28 yrs	53.3%	30
29 yrs	69.4%	36

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1988 Honda Civic pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2017 (29 yrs)	69.4%	36
2016 (28 yrs)	53.3%	30
2015 (27 yrs)	61.9%	42
2014 (26 yrs)	55%	60
2013 (25 yrs)	55.9%	68
2012 (24 yrs)	50%	90
2011 (23 yrs)	47%	115
2010 (22 yrs)	47%	166
2009 (21 yrs)	43.8%	251

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

43.8%

Age (yrs) 21Tests 251Avg Mileage 80,690Top Failure Suspension — 38.6%

2010High Fail Rate

47.0%

Age (yrs) 22Tests 166Avg Mileage 80,693Top Failure Suspension — 31.3%

2011High Fail Rate

47.0%

Age (yrs) 23Tests 115Avg Mileage 76,230Top Failure Suspension — 31.3%

2012High Fail Rate

50.0%

Age (yrs) 24Tests 90Avg Mileage 74,891Top Failure Suspension — 35.6%

2013High Fail Rate

55.9%

Age (yrs) 25Tests 68Avg Mileage 74,614Top Failure Suspension — 66.2%

2014High Fail Rate

55.0%

Age (yrs) 26Tests 60Avg Mileage 72,520Top Failure Suspension — 63.3%

2015High Fail Rate

61.9%

Age (yrs) 27Tests 42Avg Mileage 70,254Top Failure Suspension — 59.5%

2016High Fail Rate

53.3%

Age (yrs) 28Tests 30Avg Mileage 69,804Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 53.3%

2017

69.4%

Age (yrs) 29Tests 36Avg Mileage 70,271Top Failure Brakes — 41.7%

MOT results for 1988 Honda Civic by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	21	43.8%	251	80,690	Suspension — 38.6%
2010	22	47.0%	166	80,693	Suspension — 31.3%
2011	23	47.0%	115	76,230	Suspension — 31.3%
2012	24	50.0%	90	74,891	Suspension — 35.6%
2013	25	55.9%	68	74,614	Suspension — 66.2%
2014	26	55.0%	60	72,520	Suspension — 63.3%
2015	27	61.9%	42	70,254	Suspension — 59.5%
2016	28	53.3%	30	69,804	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 53.3%
2017	29	69.4%	36	70,271	Brakes — 41.7%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1988 Honda Civic, with age trends.

Suspension

41.7%

↓ Decreases with age

Brakes

28.9%

↑ Increases with age

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

26.6%

↓ Decreases with age

Body, Structure and General Items

22.2%

— Consistent

Seat Belts and Supplementary Restraint Systems

15.4%

— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Brakes	18.3% (21 yrs)	41.7% (29 yrs)	+23.4%	🔴 ↑
Suspension	38.6% (21 yrs)	19.4% (29 yrs)	-19.2%	🟢 ↓
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	23.9% (21 yrs)	11.1% (29 yrs)	-12.8%	🟢 ↓
Body, Structure and General Items	15.5% (21 yrs)	16.7% (29 yrs)	+1.2%	⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Honda Civic page →

About This Data

This page shows how Honda Civic cars manufactured in 1988 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 858 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.