Mazda MX-5 MOT Pass Rate
The Mazda MX-5 has an MOT pass rate of 79.9%, compared with a UK average of 79.1%, based on 26,924 DVSA MOT tests from 2004 to March 2026. It ranks 189th of 386 cars we track by pass rate.
The most common MOT problem area on the Mazda MX-5 is brakes, at 28.9% of all defects and advisories recorded.
Data: DVSA MOT test results, 2004 to March 2026. Last updated 3 October 2026.
- Mazda MX-5 MOT pass rate
- 79.9%
- UK average pass rate
- 79.1%
- MOT tests analysed
- 26,924
Ranked 189 of 386 models by MOT pass rate (1 is the highest).
What the Mazda MX-5 fails on
Every defect and advisory recorded at MOT, grouped by area. Includes advisories as well as failure items.
| Area | Share of all items | Items per 100 tests | Items recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 28.9% | 51.9 | 13,984 |
| Suspension | 19.2% | 34.4 | 9,269 |
| Tyres | 16.8% | 30.1 | 8,102 |
| Corrosion | 9.4% | 16.9 | 4,541 |
| Lights and signalling | 9.1% | 16.4 | 4,418 |
| Windscreen and wipers | 4.8% | 8.6 | 2,320 |
| Other items | 3.7% | 6.7 | 1,805 |
| Exhaust and emissions | 3.2% | 5.7 | 1,533 |
| Fuel system | 2.1% | 3.8 | 1,021 |
| Electrical | 1% | 1.9 | 499 |
| Bodywork | 0.6% | 1.1 | 306 |
| Steering | 0.6% | 1 | 275 |
| Structure | 0.5% | 0.9 | 240 |
| Drivetrain | 0% | 0.1 | 19 |
Fail rate by mileage
How the Mazda MX-5 holds up as the miles build, using the odometer reading at each test.
| Mileage at test | MX-5 fail rate | UK fail rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 miles | 11.6% | 13.1% | 9,902 |
| 40,000 to 79,999 miles | 21.8% | 21.7% | 9,634 |
| 80,000 to 119,999 miles | 29.4% | 28.3% | 4,505 |
| 120,000 miles or more | 29.4% | 31.4% | 2,841 |
Which years to avoid
Fail rate by year first registered, next to the UK fail rate for all cars registered that year. Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare each year with its own UK figure.
| Year | MX-5 fail rate | UK fail rate, same year | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 25.8% | 25.4% | 539 |
| 1991 | 29.7% | 26.3% | 660 |
| 1992 | 29.8% | 26.8% | 410 |
| 1993 | 26.6% | 27.5% | 721 |
| 1994 | 22.9% | 26.6% | 223 |
| 1995 | 31.4% | 25.9% | 414 |
| 1996 | 25.7% | 26.4% | 487 |
| 1997 | 26.1% | 25.5% | 414 |
| 1998 | 20.5% | 24.4% | 923 |
| 1999 | 25.8% | 25.3% | 1,010 |
| 2000 | 28.3% | 24.5% | 794 |
| 2001 | 20.9% | 25% | 599 |
| 2002 | 21.7% | 25% | 1,135 |
| 2003 | 22.4% | 25.3% | 953 |
| 2004 | 17.5% | 25.3% | 857 |
| 2005 | 23.2% | 25.4% | 1,006 |
| 2006 | 21.7% | 25.3% | 2,439 |
| 2007 | 21.5% | 25.2% | 2,463 |
| 2008 | 22.1% | 25.3% | 1,807 |
| 2009 | 19.1% | 24.9% | 1,049 |
| 2010 | 17% | 24.5% | 1,544 |
| 2011 | 16.1% | 23.4% | 877 |
| 2012 | 15.3% | 22.6% | 906 |
| 2013 | 17.2% | 21.6% | 720 |
| 2014 | 12.8% | 20.2% | 750 |
| 2015 | 12.8% | 18.7% | 530 |
| 2016 | 8.1% | 17.3% | 683 |
| 2017 | 8% | 15.6% | 839 |
| 2018 | 7.9% | 14.7% | 630 |
| 2019 | 6% | 13.8% | 453 |
Years with fewer than 50 tests, and cars too new to have reached their first MOT, are left out.
Mazda MX-5 MOT questions
Is the Mazda MX-5 reliable?
On MOT results the Mazda MX-5 is close to the average: it passes 79.9% of tests against a UK average of 79.1%, ranking 189th of 386 cars we track. Allowing for the age of the cars tested, its fail rate of 20.1% is 3.7 percentage points lower than the 23.8% you would expect from the average car of the same registration years. A pass rate is one useful signal of how well a model holds up, but it does not capture breakdowns between tests, repair costs or how an individual car has been looked after, so always check the history of the specific car.
What does the Mazda MX-5 usually fail its MOT on?
Across 26,924 MOT tests, the areas most often flagged on the Mazda MX-5 were brakes (28.9%), suspension (19.2%) and tyres (16.8%), shown as a share of all defects and advisories recorded. These counts include advisories as well as failure items, so they show where problems tend to appear rather than only what caused a fail.
Does the Mazda MX-5 get worse with mileage?
Yes. The Mazda MX-5 fails 11.6% of MOT tests taken at under 40,000 miles and 29.4% at 120,000 miles or more, based on 9,902 and 2,841 tests respectively. Across all models the equivalent figures are 13.1% and 31.4%.
How does the Mazda MX-5 compare with the national average?
The Mazda MX-5 passes 79.9% of MOT tests, 0.8 percentage points above the UK average of 79.1% across all 6,681,613 tests in the data. That places it 189th of 386 cars with at least 1,000 tests, where 1st has the highest pass rate.
Check a specific Mazda MX-5
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Related reading
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Mazda MX-5 at 60,000 Miles: Sports Car Mileage Check
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What Does 'Brake Disc Worn' Mean on an MOT? Serious or Not?
Brake Disc Worn: Repair Cost and How Urgent Is It
Repeated Brake Disc Worn Advisory: Should You Walk Away?
What Does 'Suspension Arm Bush Worn' Mean on an MOT? Serious or Not?
Other Mazda models
Data: DVSA MOT test results for Great Britain, 2004 to March 2026, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures cover 26,924 tests. Last updated 3 October 2026. How these figures are calculated.
How to cite this data: Source: CarBuyerIQ analysis of DVSA MOT test data, https://www.carbuyeriq.com/mot-pass-rates/mazda/mx-5