89.9%
Honda E pass rate
Used Honda E buying guide
In 2025, Honda E cars passed 89.9% of 1,823 initial MOT tests, 17.6 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific E? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Honda E MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+17.6
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the E sits 43rd of 575 models in the data. Honda as a brand averaged 72.5%, so this model runs 17.4 points ahead of its own brand.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Honda E MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the E compares with similar cars.
E fuel types
Most Honda E cars tested in 2025 were electric. Electric cars need an MOT from three years old like any other car, and their tyres, brakes, suspension and lights are tested the same way.
Where the E fails its MOT
Where Honda E cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (26.7%), tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (13%) and condition has ply or cords exposed (11.5%). See every common E MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Honda E that failed, not a claim that every E has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used E?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear. 48.9% of E failure items.
2
Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly. 33.7% of E failure items.
3
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting. 7.8% of E failure items.
4
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing. 4.1% of E failure items.
5
Identification of the vehicle
Match the number plates and VIN to the V5C logbook, and check the plates are legal. 2.2% of E failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Honda E failures cluster around tyres and visibility tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact E you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the Honda history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used Honda models
The most-tested Honda models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the E.
Used Honda E FAQs
Is the Honda E reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 89.9% first-time pass rate for the Honda E across 1,823 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
What should I check before buying a used Honda E?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, visibility and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a Honda E's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.