Used car guide · 2012–2018

Honda CR-V Mk4: best and worst years, and what goes wrong

How every year of the Honda CR-V Mk4 did at its MOT in 2025 compared with other cars the same age, the weak spots that keep coming up, and what to check before you buy one. From 90,280 MOT tests.

2013best year: 80% pass first time, 14 points above all 2013 cars
2017weakest year: 86% pass first time, 8 points above all 2017 cars
Brake lightsthe weak spot that shows up in 5 different years

Year by year

First-time MOT pass rate for each year of the Honda CR-V Mk4, against all cars registered the same year. Older cars fail more, so the comparison with cars the same age is what matters.

50%75%100%2012: 74% pass first time (all 2012 cars: 63%) 74% 2012*2013: 80% pass first time (all 2013 cars: 66%) 80% 20132014: 82% pass first time (all 2014 cars: 69%) 82% 20142015: 83% pass first time (all 2015 cars: 72%) 83% 20152016: 85% pass first time (all 2016 cars: 75%) 85% 20162017: 86% pass first time (all 2017 cars: 78%) 86% 20172018: 88% pass first time (all 2018 cars: 81%) 88% 2018*
This model, first-time pass rate All cars registered that year · * changeover year: some cars are the previous or next generation
YearPass first timeAll cars that yearStands outMOT tests
2012*74%63% +11Individual direction indicators 2.5× usual12,274
201380%66% +14Brake lights 1.9× usual13,912
201482%69% +13Brake lights 2.8× usual14,636
201583%72% +11Track rod ends 2× usual14,238
201685%75% +10Brake lights 1.7× usual14,110
201786%78% +8Brake lights 2.6× usual11,858
2018*88%81% +7Brake lights 6.7× usual9,252

Weak spots across the Honda CR-V Mk4

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year of this generation. Repeat findings like these are much less likely to be chance.

  • Brake lightsup to 2.8× usual

    Stands out in 5 years: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013.

    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.

  • Ball joint dust coverup to 2.3× usual

    Stands out in 4 years: 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013.

    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 jointsup to 2.2× usual

    Stands out in 3 years: 2015, 2014, 2013.

    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.

  • Pedalup to 9× usual

    Stands out in 2 years: 2015, 2014.

    Rough price £150–£350 our estimate

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

Known faults

From owners, mechanics and UK buying guides, in our own words. Not every car will have them.

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting each car's main test of the year (not retests). A weak spot needs at least 30 cars flagged and must stay 1.5× the usual rate even at the cautious end of a 95% confidence range. Generation years are approximate: cars registered in a changeover year (*) can be either generation. How we score

Looking at a Honda CR-V?

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