Mazda Mx-5 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Mazda Mx-5 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Mazda Mx-5 passed on its first attempt in 79.1%, and its overall record sits +1.1 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Mazda Mx-5 in the 2023–2025 data: 275,662 tests across 23 model years (2000–2022). 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 Mx-5 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Mazda Mx-5, 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 Mx-5's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Mazda Mx-5 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Mazda Mx-5, each with how many of the model's 275,662 tests it was noted on.

• "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 7,879 Mazda Mx-5 tests, 2.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 6,925 Mazda Mx-5 tests, 2.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 6,821 Mazda Mx-5 tests, 2.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 6,124 Mazda Mx-5 tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Service brake performance excessively binding" (Major) — noted on about 5,743 Mazda Mx-5 tests, 2.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" (Major) — noted on about 4,836 Mazda Mx-5 tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Mazda Mx-5 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Mazda Mx-5 model year on record is 2022 (97.2% across 632 tests), and the weakest is 2000 (73.2%). The gap between them is 24.0 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Mazda Mx-5 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 0.9 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 Mx-5 Owners

These checks follow this Mazda Mx-5's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Mazda Mx-5.

• the suspension joints — “ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

• 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 coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”

  Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Mazda Mx-5. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Mazda Mx-5 MOT & Reliability