Mazda 626 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Mazda 626 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Mazda 626 passed on its first attempt in 65.3%, and its overall record sits −9.1 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Mazda 626 in the 2023–2025 data: 574 tests across 3 model years (2000–2002). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Mazda 626 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Mazda 626, the Suspension section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Mazda 626's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Mazda 626 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Mazda 626, each with how many of the model's 574 tests it was noted on.

• "Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" (Major) — noted on about 44 Mazda 626 tests, 7.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 27 Mazda 626 tests, 4.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements" (Major) — noted on about 22 Mazda 626 tests, 3.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Service brake performance excessively binding" (Major) — noted on about 15 Mazda 626 tests, 2.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Major) — noted on about 14 Mazda 626 tests, 2.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Prescribed areas prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced" (Major) — noted on about 12 Mazda 626 tests, 2.1% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Mazda 626 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Mazda 626 model year on record is 2002 (74.1% across 147 tests), and the weakest is 2000 (70.4%). The gap between them is 3.7 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Mazda 626 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.8 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Mazda 626 Owners

These checks follow this Mazda 626's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Mazda 626.

• corrosion — “component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength”

  Look under the sills, around the jacking points and where the suspension mounts meet the body. Flaking, holed or crumbly metal fails; a brown stain on sound metal does not.

• the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• the wipers and washers — “wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively”

  Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Mazda 626. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Mazda 626 MOT & Reliability