BMW 3 Series vs Honda Civic

Figures per shared age band: numerator, denominator and country index for both models, from the same source.

AgeBMW 3 SeriesHonda CivicDifference (percentage points)
Inspections with a defectCountry indexInspections with a defectCountry index
3-5 years410 of 3160 (13%)102417 of 3253 (12.8%)100+0.15
6-8 years3331 of 23543 (14.1%)746225 of 40549 (15.4%)80-1.2
9-11 years17368 of 83646 (20.8%)749613 of 45328 (21.2%)76-0.45
12-14 years25879 of 86730 (29.8%)8212886 of 38744 (33.3%)92-3.42
15-19 years32046 of 98846 (32.4%)7737615 of 81985 (45.9%)109-13.46

100 = country average for that age band in this country.

Recalls and complaints

BMW 3 Series

  • Official item from NHTSA: power train / automatic transmission / control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

    Campaign number: 23V821000.

    NHTSA, data through 06/12/2023

  • Official item from EU Safety Gate

    EU Safety Gate, data through 07/08/2026

  • Official item from NHTSA: engine

    19 of the 52 of all NHTSA complaints for this model year.

    NHTSA, data through 06/12/2023

  • Official item from NHTSA: electrical system

    19 of the 52 of all NHTSA complaints for this model year.

    NHTSA, data through 06/12/2023

Honda Civic

No recalls or complaints registered for this model.

What this does not show
  • The country index is an average across the entire fleet of this model in this country, not a failure probability for one specific vehicle.
  • A complaint share is a share of reported complaints, not a failure probability for all vehicles of this model.
  • The age correction is already built into each band; differences between generations or trims within the same model are not.
  • These figures apply to United Kingdom and are not directly comparable to a figure from another country.

Frequently asked questions

  • What are the inspection figures for BMW 3 Series and Honda Civic, per age band?

    BMW 3 Series vs Honda Civic: 3-5 years: 102 versus 100. 6-8 years: 74 versus 80. 9-11 years: 74 versus 76. 12-14 years: 82 versus 92. 15-19 years: 77 versus 109. 100 = country average for that age band in this country.

  • Are any recalls known for BMW 3 Series or Honda Civic?

    BMW 3 Series: 2. Honda Civic: 0.

  • Where do these figures come from?

    DVSA MOT-statistiek (data through 03/09/2026) Both models use the same source and the same reference date.

Methodology

Each row compares inspections from the same age band, in the same country.

The country index rescales the model's defect rate so that 100 equals the country average for that band.

Two models are only compared if they share at least two age bands.

What counts as a failed inspection differs per country; never compare a figure on this page with a figure from another country.

Citation

BMW 3 Series vs Honda Civic, United Kingdom, data through 3 September 2026. https://uk.plateop.com/modellen/vergelijk/bmw-3-series-vs-honda-civic

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