What should I ask the seller before buying a used 2016 Honda HR-V diesel?

Any recent work on the shock absorbers? (Flagged at MOT 2.8× as often on the 2016 Honda HR-V diesel as on other cars the same age.) Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Used car guide

2016 Honda HR-V diesel: common problems and MOT failures

What MOT testers find on the diesel Honda HR-V first registered in 2016 (diesel cars only): we looked at the 9,036 MOTs these cars had during 2023–2025. Plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

9,036MOTs of 2016 diesel cars, done in 2023–2025

83%pass first time (all 2016 cars: 77%)

8,200typical miles a year

2.8×the usual rate for shock absorbers

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2016 Honda HR-V diesel?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2016 Honda HR-V diesel than on all cars registered in 2016.

Shock absorbers2.8× usual

Honda HR-V
10.3% All 2016 cars
3.7%

Failed outright at MOT: 1.7%, against 0.8% of all 2016 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.

Common 2016 Honda HR-V diesel MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2016 Honda HR-V diesel MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

Tyres

28% 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.
Wipers, windscreen and mirrors

6% of testsRough price £15–£250

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

6% of testsRough price £10–£80

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

4% of testsRough price £80–£250

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

Known faults on the 2016 Honda HR-V diesel

What Car? reports relatively few big issues and no common failure points, and it scored 100% in its reliability survey (joint first of 20 small SUVs).

Source: What Car?: used Honda HR-V (2015-2022) reliability

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2016 Honda HR-V diesel

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

Any recent work on the shock absorbers? (Flagged at MOT 2.8× as often on the 2016 Honda HR-V diesel as on other cars the same age.)
Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Honda HR-V?

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 HR-V compared

Year	MOT tests	Most flagged
2026	–	Too new for MOT data
2025	–	Too new for MOT data
2024	–	Too new for MOT data
2023	365	Tyres 15%
2022	6,656	Tyres 21%
2021	891	Tyres 22%
2020	11,026	Tyres 21%
2019	14,445	Tyres 23%
2018	17,965	Tyres 24%
2017	17,343	Tyres 24%
2015	8,220	Tyres 27%
2006	–	Too few tests
2005	499	Suspension 48%
2004	741	Suspension 45%
2003	650	Suspension 44%
2002	1,253	Suspension 43%
2001	1,146	Suspension 47%
2000	946	Suspension 45%
1999	488	Suspension 48%

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 HR-V cars first registered in 2016. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score