8,226 tests in 2025
Mazda 5 reliability and MOT pass rate
60.6% passed first time. The 39.4% fail rate is 16.8 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 15 years old with 105,155 miles.
Pass rate
60.6%
22.6% of all cars failed; 39.4% of these did.
Fixed on the day
7.7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
105,155 mi
15 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 14 | — |
| 10-13 years | 2,539 | 32.8% |
| 14+ years | 5,673 | 42.4% |
What the 5 fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Suspension152 dangerous58.3%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment9 dangerous38.4%
- Body, chassis, structure80 dangerous26.5%
- Tyres862 dangerous24%
- Brakes453 dangerous23.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks9 dangerous23.1%
- Visibility12.3%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems5.4%
Is the 5 getting worse?
The fail rate fell 1.5 points to 39.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 3.4 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 14,320 | 13 | 40.9% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 12,352 | 14 | 39.8% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 9,463 | 15 | 40.7% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 8,225 | 15 | 39.4% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 5 at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a 5 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn613 tests
- 2Position lamp: not working511 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn475 tests
- 4Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn350 tests
- 5Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt346 tests
- 6Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases307 tests
- 7Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits289 tests
- 8Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak283 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 5 collects 3.66 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,845 tests
- 2Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened1,285 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened1,188 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,188 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,001 tests
- 6Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases752 tests
- 7Suspension arm: corroded and seriously weakened730 tests
- 8Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn710 tests
Questions
What is the Mazda 5 MOT pass rate?
60.6% of the 8,226 Mazda 5 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 39.4% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 7.7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mazda 5 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn", recorded on 613 failed tests, followed by "Position lamp: not working" and "Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn". By section, suspension appears in 58.3% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 38.4% of failures, body, chassis, structure appears in 26.5% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 42.4%. The median Mazda 5 tested in 2025 was 15 years old with 105,155 miles.
Is the Mazda 5 getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 1.5 points to 39.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 3.4 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every 5 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 5 safety recalls naming the Mazda 5: Mazda 5 recalls.
Other Mazda models
Checking a particular 5?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.