Honda Accord years to avoid — 70,128 MOT tests ranked

Inspect most carefully: 2001, 2002, 2003. Strongest in the data: 2010 or 2011. The ranking uses 70,128 MOT tests across 12 registration years (2023–2025) and compares each year with all UK cars of the same age. Fuel-type signal: diesels show an average 5.6-point pass-rate deficit on this model. That may reflect mileage and use as well as the car itself, so inspect DPF and emissions history rather than treating fuel type as a verdict.

Every Accord year, ranked

The age-adjusted MOT index sets 100 as the pass rate of all UK cars registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Higher is better. This prevents an old car being labelled a “bad year” simply because it is old.

RankYearIndexVs same-agePass rateTests
1 2010 Strong 108.4 +8.4 pts 75.7% 3,728
2 2011 Strong 107.4 +7.4 pts 76.6% 3,733
3 2012 106.4 +6.4 pts 77.6% 3,449
4 2009 106.1 +6.1 pts 72.5% 8,999
5 2008 105.1 +5.1 pts 70.2% 8,498
6 2006 102.3 +2.3 pts 66.7% 8,375
7 2007 101.9 +1.9 pts 67.0% 9,276
8 2005 101.5 +1.5 pts 66.0% 8,632
9 2004 100.7 +0.7 pts 65.0% 7,374
10 2003 Inspect 98.9 -1.1 pts 63.9% 4,703
11 2002 Inspect 94.9 -5.1 pts 60.5% 1,710
12 2001 Inspect 94.7 -5.3 pts 61.3% 1,651

Why 2001 and 2002 and 2003 rank lower

The 2003 cohort passes 63.9% of tests (-1.1 points versus same-age cars) at a median 125,262 miles, with lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment the leading failure system. The 2002 cohort passes 60.5% of tests (-5.1 points versus same-age cars) at a median 97,187 miles, with lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment the leading failure system. The 2001 cohort passes 61.3% of tests (-5.3 points versus same-age cars) at a median 99,276 miles, with suspension the leading failure system. This is population-level evidence, not a known-fault list: service history, engine version and the individual MOT record can outweigh the registration-year average.

How to use this before buying

  • Rankings describe the cohort, not the car. A cherished 2001 example beats a neglected 2010 one — always run the specific reg through the free MOT history check.
  • Read the advisories. Repeated notes for the same component across years mean the owner has been ignoring it. Decode them in our advisory library.
  • Fuel matters on this model. The diesel deficit (5.6 points) usually traces to DPF and emissions kit on low-mileage use — check for P2463-type soot codes on the test drive.
  • Scan before you pay. A 2-minute OBD scan reveals stored faults the dashboard hides — see our scanner guide.

FAQs

Which Accord years should I avoid?

Based on 70,128 MOT tests adjusted against cars of the same age, 2001, 2002, 2003 are the lower-scoring outliers. That is a prompt for closer inspection, not proof that every car from those years is bad.

What is the best Accord year to buy used?

2010 and 2011 lead the age-adjusted MOT ranking. The score compares each registration year with all UK cars of the same age; the specific car's history and condition still take priority.

Is the Accord reliable overall?

Across 70,128 tests, the median age-adjusted index is 102.1 (100 equals the pass rate of all cars registered in the same year). Use the spread between years as one signal, then check the individual registration.

Methodology: index = 100 + the model-year cohort’s MOT pass-rate difference versus all UK vehicles registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded; at least 1,500 tests per page. “Inspect” years are below both the same-age baseline and the model’s median index by at least 2 points. Association is not proof of a model-year defect. DVSA anonymised data 2023–2025, OGL v3.0.