Comparison · family hatchbacks
Ford Focus vs Honda Civic: which is more reliable?
The Honda Civic does better at the MOT, with a score of 101 against 99 for the Ford Focus, comparing each with cars of the same age. Based on 1,164,915 real MOT tests in 2024.
Ford Focus
Honda Civic
By age
MOT Rank score for each age group (100 = an average car that age).
| Age at test | Ford Focus | Honda Civic |
|---|---|---|
| 3–5 years | 100About average | 103Above average |
| 6–9 years | 103Above average | 107Above average |
| 10–14 years | 96Below average | 104Above average |
| 15+ years | 97Below average | 96Below average |
Year by year
Share that passed first time, same registration year.
| Year | Ford Focus | Honda Civic |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 88.3% | 92.1% |
| 2020 | 87.8% | 89.5% |
| 2019 | 83.7% | 86.7% |
| 2018 | 83.4% | 84.2% |
| 2017 | 82.5% | 84.5% |
| 2016 | 79.4% | 82.7% |
| 2015 | 75.6% | 81.0% |
| 2014 | 67.4% | 77.0% |
| 2013 | 63.9% | 73.4% |
| 2012 | 63.3% | 70.8% |
| 2011 | 59.1% | 58.8% |
| 2010 | 57.2% | 55.7% |
| 2009 | 56.8% | 55.6% |
| 2008 | 55.6% | 54.8% |
| 2007 | 57.4% | 54.5% |
| 2006 | 57.0% | 54.0% |
| 2005 | 54.0% | 56.0% |
| 2004 | 52.0% | 55.2% |
| 2003 | 52.5% | 53.2% |
| 2002 | 53.1% | 54.2% |
| 2001 | 53.4% | 52.9% |
| 2000 | 52.8% | 63.4% |
| 1999 | 50.3% | 61.1% |
Problem areas
Failure items per 100 tests.
| Area | Ford Focus | Honda Civic |
|---|---|---|
| Lights & electrics | 21.0 | 25.7 |
| Suspension | 12.6 | 13.7 |
| Brakes | 7.5 | 12.2 |
| Tyres | 8.8 | 7.2 |
| Visibility (wipers, screen, mirrors) | 4.6 | 5.7 |
| Emissions & leaks | 4.6 | 4.1 |
| Body & chassis | 3.6 | 3.6 |
| Steering | 1.5 | 2.1 |
Ford Focus: top failures
Honda Civic: top failures
Questions
Which is more reliable, the Ford Focus or the Honda Civic?
The Honda Civic does better at the MOT, with a score of 101 against 99 for the Ford Focus, comparing each with cars of the same age.
Which years of the Ford Focus and Honda Civic can be compared?
Both were tested for 23 registration years (1999–2021). The Ford Focus had the higher pass rate in 7 of them and the Honda Civic in 16.
What fails most on each?
Ford Focus: position lamp: not working; tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Honda Civic: position lamp: not working; headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect.