MOT cost .
Mazda CX 5
MOT 2024

Wikimedia Commons — CC-BY-SA (image-specific)

Mazda

CX 5

102,600 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where CX 5s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 6.2 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

83.8%

Pass-after-fix

2.7%

Fail

13.1%

Avg miles

65,640

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

Trim variants

Sport 89.5% 4,330 Sport Auto 90.9% 3,512

Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 102,600 tests

Pass rate climbs 10.1 points across the cohorts — newer CX 5 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 69,758

Pass

81.5%

Fail

15.5%

PRS

2.6%

Avg mileage at test

77,505 mi

2018–2020 cohort 32,735

Pass

88.6%

Fail

8.1%

PRS

2.9%

Avg mileage at test

40,519 mi

2021+ cohort 107

Pass

91.6%

Fail

4.7%

PRS

3.7%

Avg mileage at test

26,897 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

Generations on file · 2

Mazda CX 5 · UK market

Mazda CX 5 2012-2017

2012–2017

Mazda CX 5 2017-now

2017–now

Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.

The picture

Mazda CX 5: solid MOT record across 67,796 tests

The Mazda CX 5 is a diesel-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.

MOT data from 67,796 tests puts this car on a 83.5% first-time pass rate, above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 58,649 miles. The most common fail item is steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, followed by brake pads worn below 1.5mm.

For used buyers, the CX 5's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 22–32

Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. 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 →

22–32

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

  1. 01

    Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated

    3,875 occurrences · 3.8% of tests

  2. 02

    A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated

    2,001 occurrences · 2.0% of tests

  3. 03

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    1,922 occurrences · 1.9% of tests

  4. 04

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    1,893 occurrences · 1.8% of tests

  5. 05

    A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play

    1,537 occurrences · 1.5% of tests

  6. 06

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    1,348 occurrences · 1.3% of tests

  7. 07

    Wiper blade defective

    1,259 occurrences · 1.2% of tests

  8. 08

    A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

    1,243 occurrences · 1.2% of tests

  9. 09

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    1,175 occurrences · 1.1% of tests

  10. 10

    A tyre seriously damaged

    1,128 occurrences · 1.1% 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 4 failures

£320–£880

If every one of this CX 5'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

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 10.1-point gap between bands means the year you buy Mazda CX 5 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

91.6%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 91.6% — a 10.1-point improvement. Tests in this band average 26,897 miles — roughly 51K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: slightly loose, 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

81.5%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 81.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.6% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt, ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated, and ball joint has excessive play. Average mileage on test for this band is 77,505 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (91.6% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (81.5% pass). That's a 10.1-point spread across 69,758 older tests and 107 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

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

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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Draper Drain Plug Key, 3/8 Square x 3/8 Sq. Dr.

Draper

Draper Drain Plug Key, 3/8 Square x 3/8 Sq. Dr.

£15.39

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Hycote Mazda Silver Stone Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml

Hycote

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£6.59

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Autotek Mazda Arctic White 300ml

Autotek

Autotek Mazda Arctic White 300ml

£14.29

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Autotek Mazda Brilliant Black 300ml

Autotek

Autotek Mazda Brilliant Black 300ml

£14.29

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Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

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Recall history

8 UK recalls on record.

The CX 5 has 8 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a CX 5?

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 CX 5 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.