Used car guide

2004 Honda Accord: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2004 Honda Accords, from 2,078 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

2,078MOT tests in 2025
56%pass first time (all 2004 cars: 58%)
6,200typical miles a year
2.3×the usual rate for suspension arm bushes and joints

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2004 Honda Accords than on all cars registered in 2004.

  • Suspension arm bushes and joints2.3× usual
    Honda Accord
    21.4% All 2004 cars
    9.5%

    Failed outright at MOT: 5.1%, against 2% of all 2004 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.

  • Brake pads1.9× usual
    Honda Accord
    13.9% All 2004 cars
    7.2%

    Failed outright at MOT: 2.5%, against 1.7% of all 2004 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.

  • Ball joint2× usual
    Honda Accord
    12.9% All 2004 cars
    6.6%

    Failed outright at MOT: 5.7%, against 3% of all 2004 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.

  • Anti-roll bar link joints2.3× usual
    Honda Accord
    9% All 2004 cars
    3.9%

    Failed outright at MOT: 2.4%, against 1.4% of all 2004 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.

  • Sidelights1.8× usual
    Honda Accord
    11.5% All 2004 cars
    6.5%

    Failed outright at MOT: 9.5%, against 5.6% of all 2004 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.

Better than most

Rigid brake pipes: 1% here, against 17.1% of all 2004 cars. Drive shaft (CV) joints: 2.7% here, against 6.8% of all 2004 cars.

By area

The share of 2004 Honda Accord MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Suspension
    54% 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
    45% of testsRough price £10–£80

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

  • Brakes
    35% 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.

  • Tyres
    34% 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.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    14% of testsRough price £15–£250

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

  • Exhaust and emissions
    13% of testsRough price £100–£1,200

    At the viewing: Look for black soot in the tailpipe, listen for blowing from the exhaust and check for engine or DPF warning lights.

Looking at a Honda Accord?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20121,097Suspension 32%
20111,199Suspension 32%
20101,174Suspension 38%
20092,756Suspension 41%
20082,552Suspension 44%
20072,612Suspension 50%
20062,317Suspension 52%
20052,390Suspension 54%
20031,343Suspension 51%
2000594Suspension 45%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2004 Honda Accords registered in 2004. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score