Mazda
203,208 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where 2s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 3.4 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
74.1%
Pass-after-fix
4.7%
Fail
20.7%
Avg miles
68,545
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 203,185 tests
Pass rate climbs 16.0 points across the cohorts — newer 2 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
72.5%
Fail
22.1%
PRS
4.9%
Avg mileage at test
72,660 mi
Pass
88.5%
Fail
8.1%
PRS
3.2%
Avg mileage at test
30,693 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
Generations on file · 3
Mazda 2 · UK market
2002–2007
2007–2014
2014–now
Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.
The picture
The Mazda 2 is a subcompact/supermini (B-segment) car, which has been available as a 4-door sedan and a 5 door hatchback manufactured and marketed by Mazda since 2002, currently in its third generation. An entry-level model of the brand in markets outside Japan, the Mazda2 is positioned below the Mazda3.
MOT data from 152,027 tests puts this car on a 74.8% first-time pass rate, below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 64,017 miles. The most common fail item is headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective, followed by worn suspension pin or bush.
Honest John owner records point to air conditioning system failures requiring re-gassing and electrical faults in the infotainment system as the recurring problems to check before buying used.
Buyers weighing up a used 2 should treat the failure breakdown as a pre-purchase checklist. The pass rate is reasonable, but the gap between first attempt and a clean sheet narrows with age and mileage.
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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Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
9,053 occurrences · 4.5% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
8,514 occurrences · 4.2% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
5,383 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
4,640 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
4,608 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
4,596 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
4,360 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
3,815 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
3,586 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
3,583 occurrences · 1.8% 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 5 failures
£218–£685
If every one of this 2'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 →
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 16.0-point gap between bands means the year you buy Mazda 2 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
88.5%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 88.5% — a 16.0-point improvement. Tests in this band average 30,693 miles — roughly 42K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: blade defective, does not clear the windscreen effectively — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
72.5%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 72.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 88.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: lens slightly defective, ball joint excessively worn, and inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…. Average mileage on test for this band is 72,660 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (88.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (72.5% pass). That's a 16.0-point spread across 183,309 older tests and 19,876 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
Headlight restoration kit
Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Draper
Draper Drain Plug Key, 3/8 Square x 3/8 Sq. Dr.
£15.39
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Hycote
Hycote Mazda Silver Stone Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml
£6.59
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Autotek
Autotek Mazda Arctic White 300ml
£14.29
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Autotek
Autotek Mazda Brilliant Black 300ml
£14.29
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
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.
Recall history
The 2 has 3 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
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 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.
