Mazda
1,984 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 2 SE L Nav Mhevs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 15.2 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
92.7%
Pass-after-fix
3.2%
Fail
3.9%
Avg miles
22,585
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 1,984 tests
Pass rate climbs 1.6 points across the cohorts — newer 2 SE L Nav Mhev examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
92.0%
Fail
4.6%
PRS
3.1%
Avg mileage at test
25,323 mi
Pass
93.6%
Fail
3.1%
PRS
3.3%
Avg mileage at test
19,360 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 799 MOT tests, the 2 Se-L Nav Mhev returns 91.9% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is brake pads worn below 1.5 mm. A defective wiper blade and wipers that don't clear the screen round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 18,914, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
A low-group car — among the cheapest to insure in the UK. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
5–15
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Wiper blade defective
43 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
26 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
13 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
13 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
12 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
12 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator
6 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Obligatory mirror or device slightly damaged or loose
4 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
4 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud
4 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£160–£300
If every one of this 2 SE L Nav Mhev's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 1.6-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Mazda 2 SE L Nav Mhev makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
93.6%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 93.6% — a 1.6-point improvement. Tests in this band average 19,360 miles — roughly 6K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: less than 1.5 mm thick, blade defective — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.
Band to be cautious about
92.0%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 92.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 93.6% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: blade defective, less than 1.5 mm thick, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 25,323 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (93.6% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (92.0% pass). That's a 1.6-point spread across 1,075 older tests and 909 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
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Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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Owner reports · Honest John
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
Where it falls short
Owner reports (12 entries) flag recurring problems with air conditioning, brake discs, suspension.
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a 2 SE L Nav Mhev and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
