Honda

Which year Honda Cbr is most reliable?

Based on 14,280 vehicles (1988–2019) and millions of DVLA MOT records.

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Not just "newer is more reliable"
These rankings compare each year at the same mileage point — a 2003 Cbr at 80,000 miles is judged against a 2014 Cbr at 80,000 miles, not its full lifetime average. Verdicts are also relative to this model's own average, not a universal scale. That's the difference between "old cars wear out" and "this year is genuinely more or less reliable."
Years to look for
2017
Above-average pass rate — these years consistently do better than other Cbrs
Below model average
1988, 2005
Lower pass rate than other Cbrs — worth checking the MOT history before buying
See common failures for 1988 →
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Dataset
14,280
vehicles · 1988–2019 · millions of MOT records
CarHunch sweet spot — 1993, 1995, 1999, 2008, 2011–2016
These years hit the reliability-to-value sweet spot: a 85.2–88.5% pass rate, well above this model's median, but old enough to have depreciated significantly from peak price. If budget matters alongside reliability, start your search here.

Pass rate by year

Year Pass rate Vehicles
2019
85.0%
664
2018
83.3%
1,216
2017
90.6%
1,748 Recommended
2016
88.1%
2,539
2015
87.8%
2,716
2014
87.8%
2,412
2013
86.5%
569
2012
85.7%
170
2011
88.1%
126
2008
86.4%
111
2007
84.8%
109
2005
78.0%
103 Below avg
2004
83.3%
109
1999
88.5%
102
1998
84.7%
187
1997
84.6%
186
1996
84.5%
247
1995
85.2%
222
1994
83.9%
190
1993
85.3%
184
1992
83.1%
150
1991
82.8%
104
1988
76.2%
116 Below avg

Click any year to see full MOT history, common faults and comparisons for those cars. Verdicts are relative to this model's own average — a good Land Rover year is judged differently from a good Toyota year.

How each year holds up at higher mileage

Each line is a different model year. The mileage ranges are divided into 5 equal groups based on how this model is actually driven in the real world — so you're comparing like-for-like, not arbitrary round numbers.

Only years with enough data across at least 3 mileage ranges are shown. Newer years appear in blue; older years in amber.

How is this measured?

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What "pass rate" means

The percentage of all MOT tests that resulted in a pass — counted across a car's whole life, not just its first test. Higher means fewer failures over time.

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Mileage groups built from real data

We split this model's real-world mileage history into 5 equal groups — so each slice contains the same number of cars, not an arbitrary round number like "0–30,000 miles."

Does age still matter?

Yes. A low-mileage 20-year-old car has still had 20 years of weather, perishing rubber, and ageing electrics. Comparing at the same mileage narrows the gap between old and new — but doesn't erase it entirely.

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Why this beats surveys

Our figures come from the DVLA's national MOT database — over 50 million real test results from accredited garages, with no opinions involved. Most reliability guides are based on owner surveys with a few hundred responses per model.

What next?
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