Honda City Express (1987)
1987 Honda City Express
CarHunch analysed 120 real MOT records for the 1987 Honda City Express. This breakdown of actual test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — isn't published anywhere else.
The 1987 Honda City Express passes its MOT at 85.1%, which is comfortably above the UK average of 80%, suggesting these vehicles are holding up reasonably well for their age. The dangerous defect rate of 9.2% is reassuringly low, so safety issues are not a widespread concern in this cohort.
These are genuinely low-mileage examples, averaging just 16,079 miles—typical of cherished classics rather than hard-worked daily drivers. With less than one failure per vehicle on average (0.88) but 2.3 advisories each, expect minor wear items to crop up rather than structural problems; budget for routine servicing and get a pre-purchase inspection to prioritise any advisory work before you commit.
What to check before buying a 1987 Honda City Express
Practical pre-purchase checks for this age and model.
- 📋 Check the full MOT history. Look for recurring advisories — slow-building issues like corrosion or brake wear patterns show up years before they become failures. Enter the reg below for a full AI analysis.
- 🔍 Inspect for corrosion in person. Brake pipes, sills, subframes, and chassis legs. Surface rust is normal at this age; structural rust is a serious problem that's expensive to fix and can fail an MOT.
- 🛞 Check tyres and brakes. The most common advisory items at this age. Budget for replacement if they're near the limit — factor this into your offer price.
- 📄 Run an HPI check. The MOT history won't show outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, or stolen status — an HPI check will.
Before you buy a Honda City Express
MOT history is one piece of the puzzle. These checks can reveal what CarHunch can't.
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Mileage Distribution
Most 1987 Honda City Express vehicles sit in the blue band. If the car you're looking at is outside it, it's either unusually low or high mileage for its age.
Half of all 1987 Honda City Express vehicles fall between 11,181 and 20,560 miles.
1987 Honda City Express — Still on the Road
14 vehicles still getting MOTs in 2020 — 70% of the peak remain.
Based on vehicles from this manufacture year that had at least one MOT test in each calendar year. Data from 2014–2020.
MOT History Averages
Found a specific Honda City Express?
Enter the reg to see its individual MOT history, AI Hunches, and how it compares to this cohort.