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Mazda 121 gsi 16v vs Mazda 2: reliability comparison

MOT pass rates, common faults and mileage compared from real UK MOT data.

Mazda 121 gsi 16v
62%
MOT pass rate · 67 vehicles
Mazda 2
78%
MOT pass rate · 146,943 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Mazda 121 gsi 16v (62%) and Mazda 2 (78%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Mazda 121 gsi 16v Mazda 2
MOT pass rate 62% 78% ✓
MOT failure rate 38% 22% ✓
Faults & advisories per test 2.5 1.7 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 0% ✓ 3%
Average mileage 73,960 mi 76,654 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 67 146,943

Most common faults

Mazda 121 gsi 16v

  1. Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)
  2. Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)
  3. Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)
  4. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  5. Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)
  6. Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Mazda 2

  1. Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  2. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  3. Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))
  4. Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))
  5. Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))
  6. Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate the Mazda 121 gsi 16v (62%) and Mazda 2 (78%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Mazda 121 gsi 16v report Full Mazda 2 report Most reliable cars

Pass rates are computed over completed (pass/fail) MOT tests. Reliability also depends on age, mileage and upkeep — see each model's page for the full picture.