2,323 tests in 2025
Mazda Rx-8 reliability and MOT pass rate
73.6% passed first time. The 26.4% fail rate is 3.8 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 19 years old with 65,462 miles.
Pass rate
73.6%
22.6% of all cars failed; 26.4% of these did.
Fixed on the day
5.6%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
65,462 mi
19 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 2,323 | 26.4% |
What the Rx-8 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.
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous42%
- Suspension45 dangerous42%
- Brakes53 dangerous27.5%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment2 dangerous26.9%
- Body, chassis, structure8 dangerous16.1%
- Tyres117 dangerous15%
- Visibility11.1%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems8.5%
Is the Rx-8 getting worse?
The fail rate fell 0.5 points to 26.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.1 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3,773 | 16 | 26.9% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 3,346 | 17 | 27.4% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 2,535 | 18 | 27.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 2,323 | 19 | 26.4% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Rx-8 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 Rx-8 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction87 tests
- 2Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits78 tests
- 3Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength73 tests
- 4Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits69 tests
- 5Service brake performance: excessively binding58 tests
- 6Coil spring: fractured or broken55 tests
- 7Position lamp: not working55 tests
- 8Catalyst emissions: hydrocarbon content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits46 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Rx-8 collects 3.18 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 1.6mm242 tests
- 2Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened242 tests
- 3Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine213 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened207 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure192 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick165 tests
- 7Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded142 tests
- 8Service brake performance: excessively binding128 tests
Questions
What is the Mazda Rx-8 MOT pass rate?
73.6% of the 2,323 Mazda Rx-8 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 26.4% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 5.6% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mazda Rx-8 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction", recorded on 87 failed tests, followed by "Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits" and "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength". By section, noise, emissions and leaks appears in 42% of failures, suspension appears in 42% of failures, brakes appears in 27.5% 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 26.4%. The median Mazda Rx-8 tested in 2025 was 19 years old with 65,462 miles.
Is the Mazda Rx-8 getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 0.5 points to 26.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.1 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 Rx-8 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 4 safety recalls naming the Mazda Rx-8: Mazda Rx-8 recalls.
Other Mazda models
Checking a particular Rx-8?
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.