MOT cost .
Mazda MX 5
MOT 2024

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

Mazda

MX 5

184,454 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where MX 5s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's in line with the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models.

Pass

77.8%

Pass-after-fix

3.5%

Fail

17.9%

Avg miles

68,708

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

ULEZ borderline — check VRM

This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .

UK ULEZ & CAZ guide →

Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 184,454 tests

Pass rate climbs 16.8 points across the cohorts — newer MX 5 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 171,259

Pass

76.8%

Fail

18.9%

PRS

3.5%

Avg mileage at test

72,275 mi

2018–2020 cohort 12,555

Pass

91.8%

Fail

5.2%

PRS

2.8%

Avg mileage at test

23,063 mi

2021+ cohort 640

Pass

93.6%

Fail

3.6%

PRS

2.5%

Avg mileage at test

14,732 mi

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

Generations on file · 4

Mazda MX 5 · UK market

Mazda MX 5 1989-1997

1989–1997

Mazda MX 5 1997-2005

1997–2005

Mazda MX 5 2005-2015

2005–2015

Mazda MX 5 2015-now

2015–now

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

The picture

Mazda MX 5: mixed MOT record across 112,297 tests

The Mazda MX-5 is a lightweight two-seat sports car manufactured and marketed by Mazda. In Japan, it is marketed as the Mazda Roadster or, previously, as the Eunos Roadster.

MOT data from 112,297 tests puts this car on a 77.0% first-time pass rate, roughly in line with the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 65,998 miles. The most common fail item is suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated, followed by fractured or weakened suspension spring.

Buyers weighing up a used MX 5 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

Group 20–30

Around the UK fleet average for insurance cost. 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 →

20–30

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

  1. 01

    A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated

    6,071 occurrences · 3.3% of tests

  2. 02

    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

    4,402 occurrences · 2.4% of tests

  3. 03

    A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

    3,979 occurrences · 2.2% of tests

  4. 04

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    3,519 occurrences · 1.9% of tests

  5. 05

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

    3,254 occurrences · 1.8% of tests

  6. 06

    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

    3,077 occurrences · 1.7% of tests

  7. 07

    Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake

    2,982 occurrences · 1.6% of tests

  8. 08

    Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective

    2,779 occurrences · 1.5% of tests

  9. 09

    Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer

    2,514 occurrences · 1.4% of tests

  10. 10

    A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated

    2,410 occurrences · 1.3% 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

£168–£515

If every one of this MX 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 16.8-point gap between bands means the year you buy Mazda MX 5 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

93.6%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 93.6% — a 16.8-point improvement. Tests in this band average 14,732 miles — roughly 58K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, has a cut in excess of the… — 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

76.8%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 76.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 93.6% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated, prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength, and fractured or broken. Average mileage on test for this band is 72,275 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (93.6% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (76.8% pass). That's a 16.8-point spread across 171,259 older tests and 640 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

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

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

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Hycote Mazda Silver Stone Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml

Hycote

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Autotek Mazda Arctic White 300ml

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Buying or keeping an MX 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 an MX 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.