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Mazda Mx- vs Mazda Mx-5: reliability comparison

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

Mazda Mx-
64%
MOT pass rate · 155 vehicles
Mazda Mx-5
77%
MOT pass rate · 162,634 vehicles
More reliable
Verdict: On MOT pass rate, the Mazda Mx-5 is the more reliable of the two — 77% pass first time versus 64%. It's one signal among several; check the full breakdown below.

Head to head

Measure Mazda Mx- Mazda Mx-5
MOT pass rate 64% 77% ✓
MOT failure rate 36% 23% ✓
Faults & advisories per test 2.3 1.8 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 0% ✓ 1%
Average mileage 114,543 mi 90,085 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 155 162,634

Most common faults

Mazda Mx-

  1. Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)
  2. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  3. Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  4. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  5. Offside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)
  6. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

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 Mx-5 is the more reliable of the two — 77% pass first time versus 64%. It's one signal among several; check the full breakdown below.

Full Mazda Mx- 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.