Honda Cr-V years to avoid — 584,955 MOT tests ranked

Inspect most carefully: 2001, 2002, 2003. Strongest in the data: 2010 or 2013. The ranking uses 584,955 MOT tests across 22 registration years (2023–2025) and compares each year with all UK cars of the same age. Fuel-type signal: diesels show an average 3.4-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 Cr-V 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.

Rank	Year	Index	Vs same-age	Pass rate	Tests
1	2013 Strong	111.5	+11.5 pts	84.8%	41,983
2	2010 Strong	110.8	+10.8 pts	78.1%	29,570
3	2014	110.3	+10.3 pts	86.1%	43,808
4	2011	110.3	+10.3 pts	79.5%	29,152
5	2012	110.1	+10.1 pts	81.3%	37,004
6	2015	109.4	+9.4 pts	88.1%	42,666
7	2016	108.5	+8.5 pts	89.8%	42,094
8	2009	107.2	+7.2 pts	73.6%	27,851
9	2017	106.6	+6.6 pts	90.6%	35,334
10	2019	106.6	+6.6 pts	95.0%	24,578
11	2018	105.9	+5.9 pts	92.2%	27,570
12	2020	105.9	+5.9 pts	95.8%	16,332
13	2008	105.2	+5.2 pts	70.4%	30,563
14	2021	105.2	+5.2 pts	95.6%	10,520
15	2022	105.2	+5.2 pts	96.4%	5,022
16	2007	101.6	+1.6 pts	66.7%	41,556
17	2006	99.7	-0.3 pts	64.1%	28,081
18	2005	99.0	-1.0 pts	63.5%	25,753
19	2004	96.3	-3.7 pts	60.7%	17,967
20	2001 Inspect	95.3	-4.7 pts	61.9%	3,547
21	2003 Inspect	94.7	-5.3 pts	59.8%	14,364
22	2002 Inspect	94.2	-5.8 pts	59.9%	9,640

Why 2001 and 2002 and 2003 rank lower

The 2001 cohort passes 61.9% of tests (-4.7 points versus same-age cars) at a median 118,825 miles, with suspension the leading failure system. The 2003 cohort passes 59.8% of tests (-5.3 points versus same-age cars) at a median 134,884 miles, with lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment the leading failure system. The 2002 cohort passes 59.9% of tests (-5.8 points versus same-age cars) at a median 136,767 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 (3.4 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 Cr-V years should I avoid?

Based on 584,955 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 Cr-V year to buy used?

2010 and 2013 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 Cr-V reliable overall?

Across 584,955 tests, the median age-adjusted index is 105.9 (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.