Used car guide

2013 Honda Accord: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2013 Honda Accords, from 483 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

Small sample: only 483 of these were MOT tested in 2025, so treat the percentages as rough. The known faults below don't depend on it.

483MOT tests in 2025
75%pass first time (all 2013 cars: 66%)
8,100typical miles a year
2.1×the usual rate for headlights

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2013 Honda Accords than on all cars registered in 2013.

  • Headlights2.1× usual
    Honda Accord
    7.9% All 2013 cars
    3.7%

    Failed outright at MOT: 3.9%, against 2.6% of all 2013 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £40–£400 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check both headlights on dipped and full beam, and look for cloudy or cracked lenses.

By area

The share of 2013 Honda Accord MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    31% 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.

  • Suspension
    27% 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.

  • Brakes
    25% 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.

  • Lights and electrics
    21% of testsRough price £10–£80

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

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    8% of testsRough price £15–£250

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

  • Oil and fluid leaks
    3% of testsRough price £80–£600

    At the viewing: Look under the engine and on the ground where the car is usually parked for fresh oil or fluid.

Looking at a Honda Accord?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2015168Tyres 27%
2014413Tyres 31%
20121,097Suspension 32%
20111,199Suspension 32%
20101,174Suspension 38%
20092,756Suspension 41%
20082,552Suspension 44%
20072,612Suspension 50%
20062,317Suspension 52%
20052,390Suspension 54%
20042,078Suspension 54%
20031,343Suspension 51%
2002466Suspension 44%
2001440Suspension 50%
2000594Suspension 45%
1999376Suspension 45%
1998153Brakes 43%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2013 Honda Accords registered in 2013. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score