Honda Pilot MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 808 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 26.4%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Honda Pilot MOT Reliability Overview
The Honda Pilot is a rare vehicle in the UK, with 808 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 13 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 73.6% and a failure rate of 26.4%, which is above the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Honda Pilot earns a "Very Good" reliability rating. The average Honda Pilot presents for MOT with approximately 80,697 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 2017 models achieve the highest pass rate at 85.3%, while 2005 models have the lowest at 61.3%. This 24.0 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Honda Pilot is Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment, affecting 24.8% of all tests. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. The second most common issue is Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment at 14.6%. Suspension rounds out the top three at 9.8%. Together, these top 3 failure categories account for a significant portion of all MOT failures for this model.
Top failures across all manufacture years combined. Individual year pages may show different top failures.
What Fails Most
Pass Rate by Manufacture Year
* High Fail Rate badge indicates an MOT pass rate below 65% (failure rate above 35%).
What Fails on This Car?
Click a category to see specific failure items.
View as table
| Rank | Failure Category | Rate (%) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment | 45.5% | 368 |
| 2 | Suspension | 9.9% | 80 |
| 3 | Tyres | 8.8% | 71 |
| 4 | Brakes | 8.0% | 65 |
| 5 | Driver's View Of The Road | 3.7% | 30 |
| 6 | Non-component Advisories | 2.7% | 22 |
| 7 | Registration Plates And Vin | 2.2% | 18 |
| 8 | Visibility | 1.9% | 15 |
| 9 | Identification Of The Vehicle | 1.1% | 9 |
| 10 | Noise, Emissions And Leaks | 0.9% | 7 |
| 11 | Steering | 0.9% | 7 |
| 12 | Seat Belts And Supplementary Restraint Systems | 0.6% | 5 |
| 13 | Body, Chassis, Structure | 0.4% | 3 |
| 14 | Items Not Tested | 0.1% | 1 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 80,697 miFor every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.
View as table
| Category | Rate / 10K mi | Raw % | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamps & Electrical | 5.64 | 45.5% | 368 |
| Suspension | 1.23 | 9.9% | 80 |
| Tyres | 1.09 | 8.8% | 71 |
| Brakes | 1.00 | 8.0% | 65 |
| Visibility | 0.69 | 5.6% | 45 |
| Non-component advisories | 0.34 | 2.7% | 22 |
| Registration Plates and VIN | 0.28 | 2.2% | 18 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.14 | 1.1% | 9 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.11 | 0.9% | 7 |
| Steering | 0.11 | 0.9% | 7 |
| Seat Belts | 0.08 | 0.6% | 5 |
| Body & Structure | 0.05 | 0.4% | 3 |
| Items Not Tested | 0.02 | 0.1% | 1 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Honda Pilot has 80,697 miles when tested for MOT.
📊 Mileage-Adjusted Failure Rate
How often this car fails MOT relative to how much it's driven — a fairer comparison than raw pass rate.
The Honda Pilot has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 3.27% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is better than average.
About Honda Pilot MOT Data
The Honda Pilot is a rare vehicle in the UK, with 808 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 13 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 73.6% and a failure rate of 26.4%, which is above the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Honda Pilot owners, these results suggest a reliable vehicle that generally passes its MOT without major issues. Focus your pre-MOT checks on lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment for the best chance of a first-time pass. Use our detailed year-by-year breakdown and failure analysis below to understand how your specific Pilot is likely to perform.
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 24.8% of failures
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment issues account for 24.8% of MOT failures on the Honda Pilot. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: £5–50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 14.6% of failures
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment issues account for 14.6% of MOT failures on the Honda Pilot. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: £5–50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.
Suspension — 9.8% of failures
Suspension issues account for 9.8% of MOT failures on the Honda Pilot. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. Typical repair costs: £200–500. Pre-MOT check: Look for uneven tyre wear, listen for clunking over bumps, and check if the car pulls to one side. A bouncy ride suggests worn shock absorbers. Visually inspect coil springs for cracks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Honda Pilot?
Based on 808 MOT tests in our database, the Honda Pilot has an overall pass rate of 73.6% (26.4% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Honda Pilot?
The top 3 reasons a Honda Pilot fails its MOT are: 1. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (24.8%), 2. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (14.6%), 3. Suspension (9.8%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Honda Pilot reliable?
With a 26.4% MOT failure rate, the Pilot is more reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Honda Pilot?
Based on failure data, focus on: Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (24.8%); Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (14.6%); Suspension (9.8%). These are the areas most likely to cause a fail. Also check all lights, tyres (minimum 1.6mm tread), and windscreen condition — these are quick wins that apply to all cars.
Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.