Part of the Honda Civic Mk8 (2006–2012) guide: best and worst years compared.

Used car guide

2006 Honda Civic petrol: common problems and MOT failures

What MOT testers find on the petrol Honda Civic first registered in 2006 (petrol cars only): we looked at the 34,265 MOTs these cars had during 2023–2025. Plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

34,265MOTs of 2006 petrol cars, done in 2023–2025
55%pass first time (all 2006 cars: 56%)
6,600typical miles a year
1.6×the usual rate for headlights

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2006 Honda Civic petrol?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2006 Honda Civic petrol than on all cars registered in 2006.

  • Headlights1.6× usual
    Honda Civic
    21.3% All 2006 cars
    13.1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 7.8%, against 5% of all 2006 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.

  • Shock absorbers1.8× usual
    Honda Civic
    13.3% All 2006 cars
    7.4%

    Failed outright at MOT: 4%, against 1.9% of all 2006 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £200–£300 (pair, average rear to front) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Push down hard on each corner. It should bounce once and settle. Look for oil on the shock absorber body.

  • Coil springs1.6× usual
    Honda Civic
    16.5% All 2006 cars
    10.6%

    Failed outright at MOT: 2.5%, against 3.2% of all 2006 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £175–£400 (pair, one axle) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Look behind each wheel for a snapped spring coil, and listen for a clunk or twang when turning the wheel lock to lock with the car stopped.

  • Ball joint dust cover1.8× usual
    Honda Civic
    8.2% All 2006 cars
    4.6%

    Failed outright at MOT: 2.7%, against 1.9% of all 2006 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.

  • Side repeaters3.3× usual
    Honda Civic
    4.6% All 2006 cars
    1.4%

    Failed outright at MOT: 2.9%, against 0.8% of all 2006 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

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

Better than most

Rigid brake pipes: 1.7% here, against 14% of all 2006 cars. Engine oil leaks: 5% here, against 12.4% of all 2006 cars.

Common 2006 Honda Civic petrol MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2006 Honda Civic petrol MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Suspension
    53% 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
    46% of testsRough price £10–£80

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

  • Tyres
    34% 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
    34% 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.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    10% of testsRough price £15–£250

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

  • Exhaust and emissions
    8% of testsRough price £100–£1,200

    At the viewing: Look for black soot in the tailpipe, listen for blowing from the exhaust and check for an engine warning light.

Known faults on the 2006 Honda Civic petrol

Reported by owners, mechanics and buying guides for this model and age. Check which engine the car has, as some apply to one engine only.

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2006 Honda Civic 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 1.6× as often on the 2006 Honda Civic petrol as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Any recent work on the shock absorbers? (Flagged at MOT 1.8× as often on the 2006 Honda Civic petrol as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Any recent work on the coil springs? (Flagged at MOT 1.6× as often on the 2006 Honda Civic petrol as on other cars the same age.)
  4. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Honda Civic?

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 Civic compared

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2026–Too new for MOT data
2025–Too new for MOT data
2024–Too new for MOT data
2023106Tyres 9%
20221,423Tyres 18%
20219,722Tyres 22%
202016,717Tyres 23%
201937,647Tyres 26%
201840,248Tyres 27%
201743,390Tyres 28%
201648,160Tyres 29%
201544,652Tyres 29%
201442,908Tyres 30%
201345,597Tyres 30%
201239,112Tyres 30%
201133,295Suspension 37%
201050,086Suspension 44%
200957,140Suspension 48%
200863,059Suspension 50%
200768,363Suspension 53%
200538,412Suspension 50%
200432,054Suspension 52%
200323,129Suspension 54%
200220,098Suspension 53%
200113,821Suspension 55%
20005,245Suspension 47%
19994,379Suspension 45%
19983,251Suspension 46%
19972,753Suspension 46%
19961,821Suspension 45%
19951,143Suspension 38%
1994735Suspension 33%
1993601Suspension 32%
1992569Suspension 33%
1991687Suspension 32%
1990364Suspension 30%
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
1979–Too few tests
1978–Too few tests
1977–Too few tests
1976–Too few tests
1975–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 Civic cars first registered in 2006. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score