Mazda CX-5
From 98,091 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer CX-5s fare better: 2020 models pass at 89.9% vs 75.6% for 2012.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn and a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play. The top issue, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, caused 1,850 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 1,850 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 1,834 |
| a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 1,474 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 1,324 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 1,312 |
| a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 1,184 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 1,129 |
| steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 900 |
| a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 712 |
| a suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 578 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 52.6% of CX-5 failures are safety items (worn brakes, tyre damage, steering play). The car still drives, but you shouldn't. Only 9.6% are the kind that would actually strand you. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £128.
The warranty question
A 3-year-old CX-5 passes its MOT 89.9% of the time. By 7 years old that drops to 83.5%, a 6.4 percentage point fall, right as the manufacturer warranty runs out. At 10 years it's down to 75.5%. With an average repair bill of £128 when things go wrong, an extended warranty can make sense on a CX-5 that's past its third birthday.
Mazda CX-5 on UK roads
The fleet is growing: 9,641 newly registered in the past year with 1,159 leaving, a net gain of 8,482. Currently at its highest numbers ever.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 91,258 | 1,576 | +2,010 | -425 | +1,585 |
| 2025 Q2 | 89,803 | 1,446 | +3,045 | -146 | +2,899 |
| 2025 Q1 | 87,163 | 1,187 | +3,233 | -345 | +2,888 |
| 2024 Q4 | 84,482 | 980 | +1,353 | -243 | +1,110 |
| 2024 Q3 | 83,501 | 851 | +2,274 | -851 | +1,423 |
| 2024 Q2 | 82,186 | 743 | +1,439 | -13 | +1,426 |
| 2024 Q1 | 80,791 | 712 | +1,707 | -122 | +1,585 |
| 2023 Q4 | 79,208 | 710 | +1,403 | -0 | +1,465 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cx-5 Sport Nav D | Diesel | 8,494 | 13% |
| Cx-5 Sport Nav | Petrol | 5,689 | 9% |
| Cx-5 Sport Nav D 4X4 Auto | Diesel | 5,673 | 9% |
| Cx-5 Exclusive-Line Mhev Auto | Petrol | 4,803 | 7% |
| Cx-5 Sport Nav + | Petrol | 4,581 | 7% |
| Cx-5 Exclusive-Line Mhev | Petrol | 4,052 | 6% |
| Cx-5 Sport Nav D 4X4 | Diesel | 3,743 | 6% |
| Cx-5 Sport Nav + Auto | Petrol | 3,716 | 6% |
| Cx-5 Sport | Diesel | 3,263 | 5% |
| Cx-5 Se-L D Nav | Diesel | 3,002 | 5% |
| Cx-5 Sport Auto | Petrol | 2,325 | 4% |
| Cx-5 Se-L Nav | Petrol | 2,313 | 4% |
| Cx-5 Homura Mhev Auto | Petrol | 2,303 | 4% |
| Cx-5 Homura Mhev | Petrol | 2,063 | 3% |
| Cx-5 Se-L Lux Nav D | Diesel | 1,885 | 3% |
| Cx-5 Sport Nav + D | Diesel | 1,705 | 3% |
| Cx-5 Sport Edition | Petrol | 1,531 | 2% |
| Cx-5 Takumi Mhev Auto | Petrol | 1,526 | 2% |
| Cx-5 Se-L Nav + | Petrol | 1,481 | 2% |
| Cx-5 Centre-Line Mhev | Petrol | 1,399 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 89.9% | a tyre seriously damaged, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2019 | 88.9% | a tyre seriously damaged, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2018 | 88.3% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2017 | 86.4% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
5 earlier years
| 2016 | 83.5% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2015 | 81.3% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2014 | 79.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2013 | 75.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
| 2012 | 75.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
Typical mileage
Half of all CX-5s tested had between 60,691 and 96,984 miles on the clock.
At 72,898 median miles, the CX-5 has 0.022 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Mazda models
| Mazda 2 | 74.5% |
| Mazda 3 | 75.2% |
| Mazda MX-5 | 78.7% |
| Mazda 6 | 75.5% |
| Mazda CX-3 | 87.3% |
Common questions
What is the Mazda CX-5 MOT pass rate?
The Mazda CX-5 has a 84.2% MOT pass rate based on 98,091 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Mazda CX-5?
The most common MOT failure on the Mazda CX-5 is a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, which caused 1,850 failures. Other common issues include a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn.
How many Mazda CX-5s are on UK roads?
There are 91,258 Mazda CX-5s currently licensed on UK roads, with 1,576 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Mazda CX-5 at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Mazda CX-5 is 72,898 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 60,691 and 96,984 miles.
Buying a used CX-5?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 84.2% pass rate and an average repair bill of £128 when things go wrong, budget accordingly.
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MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.