Used car guide

2011 Honda FIT: common problems and MOT failures

What MOT testers find on the Honda FIT first registered in 2011: we looked at the 964 MOTs these cars had during 2025. Plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

964MOTs of 2011 cars, done in 2025
77%pass first time (all 2011 cars: 61%)
4,400typical miles a year
10×the usual rate for rear fog light

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2011 Honda FIT?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2011 Honda FIT than on all cars registered in 2011.

  • Rear fog light10× usual
    Honda FIT
    9% All 2011 cars
    0.9%

    Failed outright at MOT: 8.8%, against 0.8% of all 2011 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.

  • Headlights2× usual
    Honda FIT
    11.4% All 2011 cars
    5.8%

    Failed outright at MOT: 2%, against 3.2% of all 2011 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.

Better than most

Suspension arm bushes and joints: 2.1% here, against 10.8% of all 2011 cars. Shock absorbers: 2.8% here, against 7.6% of all 2011 cars.

Common 2011 Honda FIT MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2011 Honda FIT MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Lights and electrics
    27% of testsRough price £10–£80

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

  • Suspension
    22% 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.

  • Tyres
    21% 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.

  • Brakes
    8% 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.

  • 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.

  • Seats and seatbelts
    2% of testsRough price £80–£250

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock, and retract cleanly.

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2011 Honda FIT

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the rear fog light? (Flagged at MOT 10× as often on the 2011 Honda FIT as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Any recent work on the headlights? (Flagged at MOT 2× as often on the 2011 Honda FIT as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Honda FIT?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, mileage and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Other years

Every year of the Honda FIT compared

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2026–Too new for MOT data
2016128Tyres 21%
2015236Tyres 14%
2014929Tyres 9%
2013962Tyres 14%
20121,265Lights and electrics 22%
2010290Lights and electrics 36%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2025, counting the MOTs of Honda FIT cars first registered in 2011. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score