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Mazda Bongo frendie vs Mazda Mx-5: reliability comparison

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

Mazda Bongo frendie
62%
MOT pass rate · 6 vehicles
Mazda Mx-5
77%
MOT pass rate · 162,634 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Mazda Bongo frendie (62%) and Mazda Mx-5 (77%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Mazda Bongo frendie Mazda Mx-5
MOT pass rate 62% 77% ✓
MOT failure rate 38% 23% ✓
Faults & advisories per test 2.9 1.8 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 3% 1% ✓
Average mileage 171,476 mi 90,085 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 6 162,634

Most common faults

Mazda Bongo frendie

  1. Coolant leak
  2. Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)
  3. Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)
  4. Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))
  5. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  6. Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Mazda Mx-5

  1. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  2. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  3. Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)
  4. Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)
  5. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  6. Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate the Mazda Bongo frendie (62%) and Mazda Mx-5 (77%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Mazda Bongo frendie report Full Mazda Mx-5 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.