Comparison · family hatchbacks
Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla: which is more reliable?
The Toyota Corolla does better at the MOT, with a score of 103 against 101 for the Honda Civic, comparing each with cars of the same age. Based on 380,233 real MOT tests in 2024.
Honda Civic
Toyota Corolla
By age
MOT Rank score for each age group (100 = an average car that age).
| Age at test | Honda Civic | Toyota Corolla |
|---|---|---|
| 3–5 years | 103Above average | 103Above average |
| 6–9 years | 107Above average | – |
| 10–14 years | 104Above average | – |
| 15+ years | 96Below average | 104Above average |
Year by year
Share that passed first time, same registration year.
| Year | Honda Civic | Toyota Corolla |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 92.1% | 89.3% |
| 2020 | 89.5% | 89.1% |
| 2019 | 86.7% | 88.5% |
| 2009 | 55.6% | 61.6% |
| 2008 | 54.8% | 61.2% |
| 2007 | 54.5% | 59.5% |
| 2006 | 54.0% | 60.5% |
| 2005 | 56.0% | 59.6% |
| 2004 | 55.2% | 56.6% |
| 2003 | 53.2% | 56.8% |
| 2002 | 54.2% | 56.9% |
| 2001 | 52.9% | 62.4% |
| 2000 | 63.4% | 62.6% |
| 1999 | 61.1% | 60.5% |
| 1998 | 58.4% | 60.1% |
| 1997 | 59.8% | 61.1% |
| 1996 | 58.7% | 67.8% |
| 1995 | 70.6% | 55.0% |
| 1994 | 74.3% | 67.0% |
| 1993 | 74.1% | 69.5% |
| 1992 | 78.0% | 71.4% |
Problem areas
Failure items per 100 tests.
| Area | Honda Civic | Toyota Corolla |
|---|---|---|
| Lights & electrics | 25.7 | 18.2 |
| Brakes | 12.2 | 11.6 |
| Suspension | 13.7 | 5.6 |
| Tyres | 7.2 | 5.8 |
| Visibility (wipers, screen, mirrors) | 5.7 | 6.5 |
| Emissions & leaks | 4.1 | 3.4 |
| Body & chassis | 3.6 | 3.4 |
| Steering | 2.1 | 0.5 |
Honda Civic: top failures
Toyota Corolla: top failures
Questions
Which is more reliable, the Honda Civic or the Toyota Corolla?
The Toyota Corolla does better at the MOT, with a score of 103 against 101 for the Honda Civic, comparing each with cars of the same age.
Which years of the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla can be compared?
Both were tested for 21 registration years (1992–2021). The Honda Civic had the higher pass rate in 8 of them and the Toyota Corolla in 13.
What fails most on each?
Honda Civic: position lamp: not working; headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect. Toyota Corolla: wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively; position lamp: not working.