Mazda MX-5
From 167,686 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer MX-5s fare better: 2021 models pass at 93.6% vs 75.5% for 1990.
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened and significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake. The top issue, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, caused 4,899 failures in 2024. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 4,899 |
| a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 3,603 |
| significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake | 3,453 |
| a suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 2,771 |
| the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 2,763 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 2,681 |
| a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 2,622 |
| vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced | 2,350 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 2,284 |
| lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer | 2,224 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 45.9% of MX-5 failures could actually strand you: fractured springs, engine faults, exhaust problems. Another 19.3% are safety issues where the car still drives but shouldn't, such as worn brakes, corroded brake pipes, and steering wear. Breakdown cover may be worth considering for this model. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £184.
Mazda MX-5 on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 3,122 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 1,392 newly registered, a net loss of 1,730. At this rate, roughly 65.6 years until none remain.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 84,620 | 28,775 | +505 | -620 | -115 |
| 2025 Q2 | 85,749 | 27,761 | +421 | -166 | +255 |
| 2025 Q1 | 80,145 | 33,110 | +303 | -639 | -336 |
| 2024 Q4 | 79,804 | 33,787 | +163 | -1,697 | -1,534 |
| 2024 Q3 | 86,276 | 28,849 | +305 | -575 | -270 |
| 2024 Q2 | 87,456 | 27,939 | +423 | -0 | +2,171 |
| 2024 Q1 | 83,032 | 30,192 | +392 | -3,055 | -2,663 |
| 2023 Q4 | 82,188 | 33,699 | +197 | -585 | -388 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mx-5 | Petrol | 21,041 | 35% |
| Mx-5 Sport | Petrol | 7,159 | 12% |
| Mx-5 Sport Nav | Petrol | 4,465 | 7% |
| Mx-5 I Roadster Se | Petrol | 3,624 | 6% |
| Mx-5 Rf Sport Nav | Petrol | 2,875 | 5% |
| Mx-5 I Roadster Sport Tech | Petrol | 2,635 | 4% |
| Mx-5 I Se | Petrol | 2,070 | 3% |
| Mx-5 I Roadster Spt Tech | Petrol | 1,906 | 3% |
| Mx-5 S-Vt Sport | Petrol | 1,833 | 3% |
| Mx-5 1.8I | Gas | 1,782 | 3% |
| Mx-5 Icon | Petrol | 1,433 | 2% |
| Mx-5 Exclusive-Line | Petrol | 1,324 | 2% |
| Mx-5 Se-L Nav | Petrol | 1,257 | 2% |
| Mx5 Euphonic | Gas | 1,173 | 2% |
| Mx-5 Rf Sport Nav + | Petrol | 1,098 | 2% |
| Mx-5 I Rd-Ter Sport Venture Ed | Petrol | 1,091 | 2% |
| Mx-5 I Roadster Venture Ed | Petrol | 1,076 | 2% |
| Mx-5 S | Petrol | 1,068 | 2% |
| Mx-5 Sport Nav + | Petrol | 957 | 2% |
| Mx-5 Rf Exclusive-Line | Petrol | 935 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 93.6% | a tyre seriously damaged, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2020 | 93.3% | a tyre seriously damaged, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2019 | 92% | a tyre seriously damaged, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2018 | 91.9% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a tyre seriously damaged |
28 earlier years
| 2017 | 91.5% | a tyre seriously damaged, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2016 | 89.2% | significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2015 | 87.3% | significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2014 | 86% | a tyre seriously damaged, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2013 | 83.9% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2012 | 82.4% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake |
| 2011 | 80.1% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake |
| 2010 | 79.4% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake |
| 2009 | 78.2% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake |
| 2008 | 76.1% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake |
| 2007 | 76.6% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2006 | 74.2% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2005 | 70.5% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 2004 | 71.3% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 2003 | 71.3% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced |
| 2002 | 71.2% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 2001 | 70.8% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, emissions levels exceed default limits |
| 2000 | 70% | emissions levels exceed default limits, emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits |
| 1999 | 69.7% | emissions levels exceed default limits, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 1998 | 72.7% | emissions levels exceed default limits, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 1997 | 73.9% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 1996 | 72.8% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 1995 | 73% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced |
| 1994 | 73.7% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated |
| 1993 | 72.1% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 1992 | 75.2% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 1991 | 74.7% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 1990 | 75.5% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
Typical mileage
Half of all MX-5s tested had between 61,378 and 103,059 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 84,631 median miles, the MX-5 has 0.025 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Mazda models
| Mazda 2 | 74.5% |
| Mazda 3 | 75.2% |
| Mazda 6 | 75.5% |
| Mazda CX-5 | 84.2% |
| Mazda CX-3 | 87.3% |
Common questions
What is the Mazda MX-5 MOT pass rate?
The Mazda MX-5 has a 78.7% MOT pass rate based on 167,686 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Mazda MX-5?
The most common MOT failure on the Mazda MX-5 is the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, which caused 4,899 failures. Other common issues include a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened.
How many Mazda MX-5s are on UK roads?
There are 84,620 Mazda MX-5s currently licensed on UK roads, with 28,775 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Mazda MX-5 at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Mazda MX-5 is 84,631 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 61,378 and 103,059 miles.
Buying a used MX-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 78.7% pass rate and an average repair bill of £184 when things go wrong, budget accordingly. 45.9% of failures on this model could actually strand you, so breakdown cover may be worth considering.
Some links are to services we may earn from. Disclosure.
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.