Linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated on the Mazda Mx-5
Linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated on the Mazda Mx-5 is recorded on 3,438 tests — 1.2% of all its MOT tests, against 0.6% across every car in the data. That is 2.0× the national share.
Is this unusual for this model?
| Compared with | What it says |
|---|---|
| Every car in the data | 0.6% of tests record it — this model is 2.0× that share |
| The 240 models compared | 49 of 240, highest first |
| The model's own record | 275,662 tests · every year of the Mx-5 → |
A share of tests is not a probability for your car: it counts every Mazda Mx-5 tested, whatever its mileage, service history and use. The like-for-like comparison on the model page is the fairer number.
Year by year
In 2000, 0.4% of this model's tests recorded it; in 2015, 0.8%. The share has risen 0.4 points over that time. Worst year 2008 at 2.4%; best 2002 at 0.3%.
| Year | Failures recorded | Tests | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 41 | 9,918 | 0.4% |
| 2001 | 23 | 6,997 | 0.3% |
| 2002 | 37 | 11,394 | 0.3% |
| 2003 | 52 | 14,788 | 0.3% |
| 2004 | 51 | 11,598 | 0.4% |
| 2005 | 157 | 11,840 | 1.3% |
| 2006 | 502 | 23,077 | 2.2% |
| 2007 | 642 | 27,476 | 2.3% |
| 2008 | 474 | 19,411 | 2.4% |
| 2009 | 306 | 14,915 | 2.0% |
| 2010 | 307 | 16,405 | 1.9% |
| 2011 | 253 | 11,791 | 2.1% |
| 2012 | 162 | 10,503 | 1.5% |
| 2013 | 192 | 10,357 | 1.9% |
| 2014 | 139 | 9,440 | 1.5% |
| 2015 | 82 | 9,600 | 0.8% |
Years with fewer than 0.2% of tests recording the item are left out: a year with two failures in 400 tests is noise, and this table is not here to make noise look like a trend.
What it costs
A typical UK repair for this item is £18–£45 fitted. It is a job a careful owner can do at home. What the part is, and what to buy →
Prices are typical UK supply-and-fitting estimates, not quotes. What happens if it fails covers the retest rules.
Where this sits
- Linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated: every model, every year → — the item's own page, with the part guide.
- Mazda Mx-5 MOT pass rate by year → — the model's whole record, and what else it fails on.
- Every Mazda model →