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

Part of the Honda Civic Mk9 (2012–2017) guide: best and worst years compared.

Used car guide

2012 Honda Civic diesel: common problems and MOT failures

What MOT testers find on the diesel Honda Civic first registered in 2012 (diesel cars only): we looked at the 12,218 MOTs these cars had during 2023–2025. Plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

12,218MOTs of 2012 diesel cars, done in 2023–2025
67%pass first time (all 2012 cars: 64%)
9,600typical miles a year
1.7×the usual rate for brake pads

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2012 Honda Civic diesel?

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

  • Brake pads1.7× usual
    Honda Civic
    16.7% All 2012 cars
    9.7%

    Failed outright at MOT: 3.8%, against 2.3% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £75–£175 (one axle) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for squealing or grinding when braking, and look through the wheel at how much pad is left.

  • Sidelights1.9× usual
    Honda Civic
    8.8% All 2012 cars
    4.7%

    Failed outright at MOT: 8.6%, against 4.1% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

  • Track rod ends1.9× usual
    Honda Civic
    8% All 2012 cars
    4.3%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1.8%, against 2.2% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £50–£150 (one end, plus about £30–£50 if it needs a wheel alignment) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: On a straight road the steering wheel should sit straight. Listen for knocks when turning, and check the steering feels even.

  • Anti-lock braking system5.4× usual
    Honda Civic
    2.7% All 2012 cars
    0.5%

    Failed outright at MOT: 2.7%, against 0.5% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £100–£350 our estimate

    At the viewing: On a quiet road, brake firmly from about 30mph. The car should stop straight without pulling.

  • Flexible brake hoses1.8× usual
    Honda Civic
    2.2% All 2012 cars
    1.2%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.3%, against 0.2% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £50–£200 our estimate

    At the viewing: Look for cracked or bulging rubber hoses behind the wheels and in the engine bay.

Better than most

Coil springs: 3% here, against 8.5% of all 2012 cars. Engine oil leaks: 0.8% here, against 6% of all 2012 cars.

Common 2012 Honda Civic diesel MOT failures and advisories

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

  • Tyres
    33% 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
    29% 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
    27% 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
    27% 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.

  • Seats and seatbelts
    3% of testsRough price £80–£250

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock, and retract cleanly.

Known faults on the 2012 Honda Civic diesel

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.

  • Clutch-start software recall (early diesels)

    Diesel built up to Sept 2012

    A small number of diesels built up to September 2012 could start in gear without the clutch pressed. Honda fixed it with a software update.

    At the viewing: Ask a Honda dealer to confirm the update was done.

    Source: Auto Express: used Honda Civic Mk9

  • Automatic wipers that stop working

    All engines

    The rain-sensing wipers can stop working properly. Fixes range from a battery reset to a new sensor or a software update.

    At the viewing: Switch the wipers to auto and spray the windscreen.

    Source: Auto Express: used Honda Civic Mk9

  • Uneven panel gaps

    All engines

    Some owners report uneven gaps between panels, especially around the tailgate. It can also hide a past repair, so it's worth a close look.

    At the viewing: Look along the tailgate and doors for gaps that differ side to side.

    Source: Auto Express: used Honda Civic Mk9

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2012 Honda Civic diesel

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

  1. Has the engine software recall been done?
  2. Have the wipers or rain sensor had any work?
  3. Has the car had any bodywork?
  4. Any recent work on the brake pads? (Flagged at MOT 1.7× as often on the 2012 Honda Civic diesel as on other cars the same age.)
  5. Any recent work on the sidelights? (Flagged at MOT 1.9× as often on the 2012 Honda Civic diesel as on other cars the same age.)
  6. Any recent work on the track rod ends? (Flagged at MOT 1.9× as often on the 2012 Honda Civic diesel as on other cars the same age.)

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%
201133,295Suspension 37%
201050,086Suspension 44%
200957,140Suspension 48%
200863,059Suspension 50%
200768,363Suspension 53%
200643,999Suspension 55%
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 2012. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score