67,148 tests in 2025
Mazda Cx-5 reliability and MOT pass rate
83.5% passed first time. The 16.5% fail rate is 6.1 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 7 years old with 57,848 miles.
Pass rate
83.5%
22.6% of all cars failed; 16.5% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.2%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
57,848 mi
7 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 16,803 | 7.5% |
| 6-9 years | 31,796 | 14.7% |
| 10-13 years | 18,209 | 28% |
| 14+ years | 1 | — |
What the Cx-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.
- Suspension549 dangerous38.8%
- Brakes2,234 dangerous25.8%
- Tyres1,969 dangerous22.4%
- Steering154 dangerous18.5%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment9 dangerous11.6%
- Visibility4 dangerous10.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks27 dangerous9.8%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems2.3%
Is the Cx-5 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 5 points to 17.9% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 56,558 | 6 | 12.9% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 60,487 | — | 14.8% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 53,890 | — | 16.1% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 58,248 | — | 17.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Cx-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 Cx-5 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,705 tests
- 2Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play1,594 tests
- 3Coil spring: fractured or broken1,489 tests
- 4Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn1,022 tests
- 5Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords977 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm880 tests
- 7Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively824 tests
- 8Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction566 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Cx-5 collects 2.48 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 1.6mm8,725 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick8,140 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened6,319 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure5,472 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn4,031 tests
- 6Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt2,383 tests
- 7Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded1,968 tests
- 8Suspension arm: corroded and seriously weakened1,747 tests
Questions
What is the Mazda Cx-5 MOT pass rate?
83.5% of the 67,148 Mazda Cx-5 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 16.5% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.2% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mazda Cx-5 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick", recorded on 1,705 failed tests, followed by "Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play" and "Coil spring: fractured or broken". By section, suspension appears in 38.8% of failures, brakes appears in 25.8% of failures, tyres appears in 22.4% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 7.5%; at 10-13 years it was 28%. The median Mazda Cx-5 tested in 2025 was 7 years old with 57,848 miles.
Is the Mazda Cx-5 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 5 points to 17.9% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
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 Cx-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 8 safety recalls naming the Mazda Cx-5: Mazda Cx-5 recalls.
Other Mazda models
Checking a particular Cx-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.