Mazda MX-5 common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 90,899 initial MOT tests on the Mazda MX-5 in Great Britain, and 74.9% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Mazda MX-5 at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 90,899
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 74.9%
Failed at firstIncluding 4.0% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 25.1%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 5.0%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 31,042 off the road (SORN): 85,523

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

Failure areas

Where the MX-5 fails its MOT

The share of initial tests in 2025 with at least one fail or PRS item in each part of the MOT. A test can fail in more than one area, so these do not add up to the fail rate.

1Suspension
9.0%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
2Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
8.1%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
3Brakes
7.2%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
4Noise, emissions and leaks
4.7%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
5Visibility
3.9%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
6Body, chassis and structure
3.1%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
7Tyres
3.0%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
8Seat belts and airbags
1.6%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
9Steering
0.7%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
10Registration plates and VIN
0.3%
Number plates and the vehicle identification numberAll cars and vans: 0.3%

This modelAll cars and vans

Parts

The parts that fail most

Share of initial tests with a fail or PRS item on each part, 2025.

Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks4.7%
Brake performanceBrakes4.7%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics3.0%
SpringsSuspension2.8%
Anti-roll barsSuspension2.3%
Component mounting prescribed areasSuspension2.2%
Position lampsLamps and electrics2.2%
ConditionTyres2.2%

By age

Pass rate by year first used

Older cars fail more often, so compare a car with others of its year. Cars up to 25 years old; years with fewer than 250 tests are left out.

First used	Tests	Passed first time	Dangerous defect
2022	1,362	94.1%	1.3%
2021	1,469	94.6%	1.5%
2020	1,055	91.8%	1.8%
2019	4,010	91.4%	2.6%
2018	4,251	89.2%	3.7%
2017	4,565	89.1%	3.4%
2016	4,091	86.1%	3.9%
2015	2,986	85.3%	3.7%
2014	2,834	80.4%	4.7%
2013	3,096	79.3%	4.8%
2012	3,104	79.6%	3.9%
2011	3,348	76.1%	4.7%
2010	4,590	73.2%	4.9%
2009	4,069	71.4%	4.8%
2008	5,190	68.8%	5.6%
2007	7,304	69.7%	5.8%
2006	5,855	67.0%	5.9%
2005	2,942	66.1%	7.2%
2004	2,743	64.7%	7.5%
2003	3,525	63.3%	7.1%
2002	2,785	65.6%	7.1%
2001	1,736	67.1%	6.0%
2000	2,382	63.3%	6.5%

Mileage

MX-5 mileage by age

The median reading at the test: half the cars of that age had covered more, half less. Estimated from 1,000-mile bands, for cars up to 25 years old.

A car well above or below the typical figure is not a problem in itself, but the readings should rise steadily from one MOT to the next. A fall, or a long gap, is worth asking about.

Check a car's mileage record

Age at test	Median mileage	Readings
2 years	12,400 miles	1,116
3 years	15,800 miles	1,425
4 years	18,500 miles	1,145
5 years	21,800 miles	2,946
6 years	26,600 miles	4,208
7 years	30,300 miles	4,098
8 years	35,000 miles	4,081
9 years	39,900 miles	3,752
10 years	40,000 miles	2,686
11 years	45,500 miles	2,917
12 years	48,600 miles	3,066
13 years	53,300 miles	3,121
14 years	57,900 miles	4,085
15 years	63,300 miles	4,467
16 years	68,600 miles	4,302
17 years	72,500 miles	6,169
18 years	75,700 miles	6,780
19 years	77,000 miles	4,358
20 years	74,600 miles	2,712
21 years	78,700 miles	3,191
22 years	79,600 miles	3,117
23 years	83,600 miles	2,393
24 years	88,900 miles	1,982
25 years	89,000 miles	2,460

Checking a particular MX-5?

Averages tell you what to look at. The registration tells you about this car: every MOT since 2005 with its failures and advisories, each mileage reading, and whether it is taxed.

Questions

Mazda MX-5: common questions

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

What is the most common MOT failure on the Mazda MX-5?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Mazda MX-5 was suspension: 9.0% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 9.0% for all cars and vans. Next came lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (8.1%) and brakes (7.2%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Mazda MX-5?

74.9% of 90,899 initial MOT tests on the Mazda MX-5 in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 4.0% passed after small repairs made at the test station within the hour (PRS). Across all cars and vans, 72.1% passed first time.

Does a lower pass rate mean the Mazda MX-5 is unreliable?

Not on its own. MOT results depend on age, mileage and upkeep as much as on design, so a model with many older cars on the road will usually fail more often. The table by year compares cars of a similar age. What matters most is the record of the car you are looking at, so check its MOT history before you buy.

What counts as a dangerous defect?

One the tester judges to be a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or to have a serious impact on the environment. The car fails and should not be driven until it is repaired. 5.0% of initial tests on the Mazda MX-5 found at least one, against 7.3% for all cars and vans.

Where do these figures come from?

From DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count initial tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain, as DVSA does in its own statistics: retests, appeals and abandoned tests are left out, and so are advisories and minor defects.

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