Honda City Express (1998)
1998 Honda City Express
CarHunch analysed 138 real MOT records for the 1998 Honda City Express. This breakdown of actual test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — isn't published anywhere else.
The 1998 Honda City Express falls slightly below the UK average with a 77.5% pass rate against the national 80%, suggesting these 26-year-old vehicles are showing their age moderately well but not exceptionally. Nearly one in five (18.8%) have recorded a dangerous defect at some point, which is a meaningful safety concern for a buyer to investigate thoroughly on any used example.
These City Express models are running low mileage for their age—a median of just 12,194 miles—which is genuinely unusual and suggests many were light-use commercial vehicles or have sat dormant for extended periods. With an average of 1.63 failures and 3.3 advisories per test, expect wear-related issues around suspension, lights, and brakes rather than fundamental mechanical failure; get a pre-purchase inspection done specifically checking the brake system and undercarriage corrosion before committing.
What to check before buying a 1998 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
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Mileage Distribution
Most 1998 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 1998 Honda City Express vehicles fall between 8,556 and 19,284 miles.
1998 Honda City Express — Still on the Road
Numbers are declining — 10 vehicles still getting MOTs in 2023 (26% of peak).
Based on vehicles from this manufacture year that had at least one MOT test in each calendar year. Data from 2014–2023.
MOT History Averages
Found a specific Honda City Express?
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