Mazda MX-5 MOT pass rate, common failures and mileage
In 2023, 77.4% of 95,311 MOT tests on the Mazda MX-5 ended in a pass, 0.9 points above the 76.5% average for all cars. Comparing like for like at ages 3 to 10, it passed 90.9% against 82.0%, ranking 6th of 148 models.
Pass rate and mileage by age
Each row covers the Mazda MX-5 MOT tests at that age. Mileage shows the median and the middle half of odometer readings, from the 25th to the 75th percentile.
| Age | Pass rate | Mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 32,822 tests | 96.0% | 15,000 · 9k to 21k |
| 44,322 tests | 94.4% | 19,000 · 13k to 27k |
| 53,987 tests | 93.4% | 23,000 · 15k to 33k |
| 64,122 tests | 92.2% | 27,000 · 17k to 39k |
| 73,700 tests | 90.8% | 33,000 · 21k to 45k |
| 82,709 tests | 88.3% | 33,000 · 23k to 47k |
| 93,000 tests | 86.7% | 39,000 · 27k to 55k |
| 103,034 tests | 84.6% | 43,000 · 29k to 59k |
| 113,130 tests | 81.8% | 47,000 · 33k to 63k |
| 124,075 tests | 79.7% | 53,000 · 37k to 69k |
| 134,667 tests | 78.1% | 57,000 · 41k to 77k |
| 144,642 tests | 75.4% | 63,000 · 45k to 83k |
| 156,510 tests | 74.3% | 67,000 · 49k to 89k |
| 167,714 tests | 71.3% | 73,000 · 53k to 93k |
| 175,164 tests | 68.8% | 75,000 · 57k to 95k |
| 183,695 tests | 66.5% | 75,000 · 55k to 95k |
| 194,195 tests | 67.2% | 79,000 · 59k to 99k |
| 204,220 tests | 66.4% | 79,000 · 59k to 101k |
| 213,099 tests | 70.4% | 85,000 · 63k to 109k |
| 222,550 tests | 66.4% | 89,000 · 67k to 115k |
| 233,034 tests | 66.4% | 91,000 · 67k to 117k |
| 243,145 tests | 68.8% | 93,000 · 69k to 117k |
| 252,402 tests | 70.3% | 95,000 · 71k to 119k |
Most common MOT failures and advisories
How often each item came up, per 100 MOT tests on the Mazda MX-5. Advisories are things the tester noted that did not fail the car, often wear that will need attention soon. Follow an item to see what it means and how serious it is.
Failures
Advisories and minor defects
What to check on a used MX-5
The parts that come up most often in Mazda MX-5 MOTs, and how to look at them on a viewing.
- Brake discs and padsAsk when the discs and pads were last replaced, and look through the wheel for a raised lip on the edge of the disc.
- Oil leaksLook under the engine and gearbox, and at the ground where the car was parked, for fresh oil.
- Brake pipes and hosesLook underneath at the metal brake pipes for heavy rust, and at the rubber hoses for cracks or bulges.
- BrakingOn the test drive, brake firmly on a straight road: the car should stop straight without pulling, and the handbrake should hold it on a slope.
- Suspension and steering jointsListen for knocks over bumps and at full lock, and ask whether any suspension or steering joints have been replaced.
Check a specific MX-5
Fleet averages only go so far. Enter the registration to see that car's own MOT history, mileage record and current condition, free.
Questions
What is the MOT pass rate of the Mazda MX-5?
What fails most often on a Mazda MX-5 MOT?
What is a normal mileage for a 10-year-old Mazda MX-5?
What do MOT testers most often advise on a Mazda MX-5?
Other Mazda models
Overall MOT pass rate in 2023. Compare all Mazda models or see every make.
How these figures are made. We counted every initial MOT test (not retests) of cars and light vans in Great Britain in 2023 from the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 33,842,940 tests in all. Pass rate is the share of initial tests that ended in a pass, counting faults fixed during the test. Age is whole years from first registration to the test, so a car having its first MOT a few weeks early counts as 2.
Like-for-like pass rates average each model's pass rate at ages 3 to 10 with the same age mix for every model, so a model is not flattered by a young fleet or penalised by an old one. Models are grouped by the first word of the DVSA model name, and names that cover several models are left out.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. RegTail's analysis of the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 2023 tests.