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Honda Accord exhaust, emissions and leaks problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 13,258 MOT tests · Updated

At 16 years, 3.9 in 100 MOT tests of the Honda Accord failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 6.2 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 13,258 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: fails less often than all class 4 vehicles the same age (0.6–0.7×) (all test years), 514 MOT tests with a fail
  • When it starts: clear of 1.2 times from 20 years and at every older age seen
  • Most common fail: Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction, 1.3 per 100 MOT tests

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

3.9 fails per 100 MOT tests at 16 years, against 6.2 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 16 (all test years). The Honda Accord fails less often here.

Why it matters

An exhaust, emissions and leaks fail stops the car passing until it is fixed; the most common one is rated major by DVSA.

What to check

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

Honda Accord exhaust, emissions and leaks fails by age

Honda Accord exhaust, emissions and leaks fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Honda Accord. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.0510159 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 2.4), 1,114 MOT tests910 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 2,363 MOT tests11 years: 1.0 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 3,492 MOT tests1112 years: 1.1 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 4,390 MOT tests13 years: 1.2 per 100 (all cars 4.3), 7,181 MOT tests1314 years: 2.4 per 100 (all cars 5.1), 9,286 MOT tests15 years: 2.8 per 100 (all cars 5.7), 11,713 MOT tests1516 years: 3.9 per 100 (all cars 6.2), 13,258 MOT tests17 years: 4.7 per 100 (all cars 6.5), 13,143 MOT tests1718 years: 6.2 per 100 (all cars 6.8), 12,319 MOT tests19 years: 7.3 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 10,398 MOT tests1920 years: 9.1 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 7,614 MOT tests21 years: 11.7 per 100 (all cars 7.1), 5,258 MOT tests2122 years: 12.5 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 3,808 MOT tests23 years: 14.5 per 100 (all cars 6.9), 2,664 MOT tests2324 years: 12.8 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 1,981 MOT tests25 years: 12.3 per 100 (all cars 7.1), 1,389 MOT tests25
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Honda Accord All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
91,1140.42.4
102,3630.92.8
113,4921.03.2
124,3901.13.7
137,1811.24.3
149,2862.45.1
1511,7132.85.7
1613,2583.96.2
1713,1434.76.5
1812,3196.26.8
19*10,3987.37.0
20*7,6149.17.0
21*5,25811.77.1
22*3,80812.57.0
23*2,66414.56.9
24*1,98112.87.0
25*1,38912.37.1

All first-use years of the Honda Accord pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years. * Only survivors are still tested at this age.

What fails in the exhaust, emissions and leaks at 16 years

Fails

Advisories (not fails)

Diagnose engine warning light cost

Repair figures are estimates, not quotes: how we estimate repair costs.

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  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
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See a sample report

How to check on a test drive

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive.

Check one Honda Accord, not the average

The figures here describe Honda Accord cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other Honda Accord problems

Exhaust, emissions and leaks on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Honda Accord have more exhaust, emissions and leaks problems than other cars?

0.6 to 0.7 times the exhaust, emissions and leaks fail rate of all class 4 vehicles the same age at 16 years (all test years), from 13,258 MOT tests. The interval is clear of 0.8 in the same direction at 4 of the 17 ages seen (ages up to 18 with at least 100 MOT tests with a fail).

How common are Honda Accord exhaust, emissions and leaks problems?

3.9 in 100 MOT tests at 16 years failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 6.2 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 13,258 MOT tests).

What is the most common Honda Accord exhaust, emissions and leaks fail?

1.3 in 100 MOT tests at 16 years: Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction (172 MOT tests with it).

At what age do Honda Accord exhaust, emissions and leaks fails start?

20 years: from then on the rate stays clear of 1.2 times all class 4 vehicles the same age at every age seen, 22,714 MOT tests.

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 111,371 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
  2. Office for National Statistics, Consumer price inflation, local price quotes (car repair items). ONS price quotes, series 610236. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare