84,096 tests in 2025
Mazda Mx-5 reliability and MOT pass rate
78.6% passed first time. The 21.4% fail rate is 1.2 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 17 years old with 60,301 miles.
Pass rate
78.6%
22.6% of all cars failed; 21.4% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
60,301 mi
17 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 3,516 | 3.9% |
| 6-9 years | 15,456 | 8.2% |
| 10-13 years | 11,073 | 15% |
| 14+ years | 54,018 | 27.5% |
What the Mx-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.
- Suspension790 dangerous42.2%
- Brakes2,173 dangerous33.4%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment43 dangerous25.6%
- Noise, emissions and leaks12 dangerous21.4%
- Body, chassis, structure224 dangerous14.4%
- Tyres2,562 dangerous13.7%
- Visibility5 dangerous12.1%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems4 dangerous7.7%
Is the Mx-5 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.2 points to 21.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.7 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 97,983 | 15 | 21.7% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 94,532 | 16 | 22% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 77,712 | 16 | 22.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 81,300 | 17 | 21.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Mx-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 Mx-5 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken2,334 tests
- 2Service brake performance: excessively binding1,813 tests
- 3Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength1,774 tests
- 4Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits1,573 tests
- 5Position lamp: not working1,173 tests
- 6Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively1,146 tests
- 7Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,139 tests
- 8Prescribed areas: prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced1,042 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Mx-5 collects 3.03 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.
- 1Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened8,251 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure7,155 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm6,608 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick5,795 tests
- 5Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened5,607 tests
- 6Service brake performance: excessively binding4,001 tests
- 7Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine3,992 tests
- 8Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn3,804 tests
Questions
What is the Mazda Mx-5 MOT pass rate?
78.6% of the 84,096 Mazda Mx-5 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 21.4% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mazda Mx-5 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 2,334 failed tests, followed by "Service brake performance: excessively binding" and "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength". By section, suspension appears in 42.2% of failures, brakes appears in 33.4% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 25.6% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 3.9%; at 14+ years it was 27.5%. The median Mazda Mx-5 tested in 2025 was 17 years old with 60,301 miles.
Is the Mazda Mx-5 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.2 points to 21.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.7 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
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 Mx-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.
Other Mazda models
Checking a particular Mx-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.