Used car guide

2012 Honda Accord petrol: common problems and MOT failures

What MOT testers find on the petrol Honda Accord first registered in 2012 (petrol cars only): we looked at the 865 MOTs these cars had during 2023–2025. Plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

865MOTs of 2012 petrol cars, done in 2023–2025
76%pass first time (all 2012 cars: 64%)
6,400typical miles a year
2.5×the usual rate for headlights

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2012 Honda Accord petrol?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2012 Honda Accord petrol than on all cars registered in 2012.

  • Headlights2.5× usual
    Honda Accord
    10.1% All 2012 cars
    4%

    Failed outright at MOT: 4.3%, against 2.7% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £40–£400 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check both headlights on dipped and full beam, and look for cloudy or cracked lenses.

Better than most

Brake discs: 6.7% here, against 13.8% of all 2012 cars.

Common 2012 Honda Accord petrol MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2012 Honda Accord petrol MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    24% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Brakes
    21% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Suspension
    20% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Lights and electrics
    19% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    8% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Oil and fluid leaks
    4% of testsRough price £80–£600

    At the viewing: Look under the engine and on the ground where the car is usually parked for fresh oil or fluid.

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2012 Honda Accord petrol

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the headlights? (Flagged at MOT 2.5× as often on the 2012 Honda Accord petrol as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Honda Accord?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, mileage and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Other years

Every year of the Honda Accord compared

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2026–Too new for MOT data
2015488Tyres 27%
20141,263Tyres 28%
20131,463Tyres 31%
20113,757Tyres 31%
20103,745Suspension 33%
20099,051Suspension 36%
20088,565Suspension 41%
20079,350Suspension 48%
20068,451Suspension 48%
20058,708Suspension 52%
20047,445Suspension 53%
20034,742Suspension 50%
20021,738Suspension 45%
20011,688Suspension 47%
20002,233Suspension 45%
19991,404Suspension 42%
1998521Suspension 42%
1997228Suspension 39%
1996170Suspension 46%
1995134Suspension 40%
1994–Too few tests
1993–Too few tests
1992–Too few tests
1991–Too few tests
1990–Too few tests
1989–Too few tests
1988–Too few tests
1987–Too few tests
1986–Too few tests
1985–Too few tests
1984–Too few tests
1983–Too few tests
1982–Too few tests
1980–Too few tests
1979–Too few tests

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, counting the MOTs of Honda Accord cars first registered in 2012. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score