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Mazda Mr vs Mazda Mx-5: reliability comparison

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

Mazda Mr
64%
MOT pass rate · 1 vehicles
Mazda Mx-5
77%
MOT pass rate · 162,634 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Mazda Mr (64%) 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 Mr Mazda Mx-5
MOT pass rate 64% 77% ✓
MOT failure rate 36% 23% ✓
Faults & advisories per test 3.5 1.8 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 0% ✓ 1%
Average mileage 168,158 mi 90,085 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 1 162,634

Most common faults

Mazda Mr

  1. Nearside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))
  2. Offside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))
  3. Front Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))
  4. Central Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))
  5. Rear Anti-roll bar corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))
  6. Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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 Mr (64%) and Mazda Mx-5 (77%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Mazda Mr 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.