Honda motorbikes, manufactured by Japan's leading motorcycle producer, were commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) investigation period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. This period saw significant scrutiny of
discretionary commission arrangements within motor finance, which could have affected thousands of Honda motorcycle owners.
## How Honda Motorbikes Were Financed
Honda motorbike buyers often financed their purchases through major lenders such as
Black Horse,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
MotoNovo Finance, and
Moneybarn during the FCA investigation period. These agreements were typically structured under PCP or HP terms. Under a Personal Contract Purchase (PCP), customers would pay monthly instalments for a specified term and then have the option to return the motorcycle at the end of the agreement, purchase it outright, or replace it with another model. Hire Purchase (HP) allowed buyers to finance the full cost of the motorbike over an agreed period without any balloon payment at the end.
## The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The FCA’s investigation into discretionary commission arrangements uncovered widespread issues affecting 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) across various lenders, including those financing Honda motorcycles. These arrangements involved lenders paying sales commissions above a fixed rate based on performance targets, which could have influenced the advice given to consumers about finance options. The total amount of overcharges identified by the FCA was estimated at £7.5 billion (FCA estimate), with an average of £829 per agreement affected (FCA estimate).
## How to Check Your Agreement If it falls between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024, there's a possibility that discretionary commissions may have been involved. Common lenders like Black Horse, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, and Moneybarn are particularly relevant to this investigation. You should look for evidence of any additional or performance-based commission fees in the agreement documentation.
## How to
Complain Directly to Your Lender for Free
If you suspect that your Honda motorbike finance agreement was mis-sold due to discretionary commissions, it is important to know that you do not need a
claims management company. You can complain directly to your lender free of charge. Common lenders such as Black Horse, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, and Moneybarn all have dedicated complaint resolution processes in place. By contacting them directly, you can initiate the process without any upfront costs or obligations.
## Sources and references
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), 2024
- Office for National Statistics Census (ONS Census), 2021
FCA Compensation: FCA Scheme Figures
The FCA confirmed on 30 March 2026 that 12.1 million motor finance agreements are covered by the FCA redress scheme. The FCA-estimated scheme average of £829 per eligible agreement per agreement, with a total of £7.5 billion set aside for consumers. The scheme covers PCP and HP agreements entered into between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024.
Two separate schemes apply: post-2014 agreements (implement by 30 June 2026) and pre-2014 agreements (implement by 31 August 2026). The final deadline to complain is 31 August 2027. You can complain to your lender directly for free. You do not need a claims management company.
Across 1,012,997 MOT tests in 2024, Honda vehicles have an overall pass rate of 82.7%. This is above the national average of 79.6%. DVSA data covers 463 Honda models with sufficient test volume.
- Overall pass rate: 82.7%
- Total MOT tests (2024): 1,012,997
- Models with data: 463
- National average: 79.6%
Best Honda models for MOT pass rate
- Honda Z 125 Ma-K: 97.8% pass rate (856 tests)
- Honda Jazz Crosstar Ex I-Mmd Cvt: 97.0% pass rate (5,356 tests)
- Honda Crf 250 La-K: 96.8% pass rate (506 tests)
- Honda Civic Sport Vtec Cvt: 96.6% pass rate (555 tests)
- Honda C 125 A-K: 96.4% pass rate (502 tests)
Honda models with lowest MOT pass rate
- Honda Cbr125R: 76.2% pass rate (538 tests)
- Honda Prelude: 74.2% pass rate (999 tests)
- Honda Accord: 73.5% pass rate (28,072 tests)
- Honda Fr-V: 70.0% pass rate (7,633 tests)
- Honda Stream: 69.4% pass rate (784 tests)
Honda MOT Reliability Trend (2022-2024)
Honda pass rates have remained stable: 82.9% in 2022, 82.6% in 2023, and 82.7% in 2024.
- 2022: 82.9% pass rate (1,289,570 tests)
- 2023: 82.6% pass rate (1,277,216 tests)
- 2024: 82.7% pass rate (1,012,997 tests)
Based on 3,579,783 MOT tests across three years (DVSA open data).
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, Open Government Licence v3.0.