Mazda CX-5 MOT failure rate and common faults
72,338 Mazda CX-5 cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 19.6% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 21.2% of the time, which makes the Mazda CX-5 8% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
19.6%
failed first time
72,338 MOT tests in 2025
-8%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 21.2%
98 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
75.8
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 84.6
What fails on a Mazda CX-5 MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Mazda CX-5 MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 30.3 |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play | Steering | 27.0 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 25.6 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 22.7 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 18.9 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 18.6 |
| Ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 17.7 |
| Headlamp aim: too high | Lights and electrics | 14.3 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 9.5 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 8.8 |
Mazda CX-5 MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 7,247 | 9.6% | 11.4% | 26,600 |
| 2021 | 5,483 | 11.7% | 12.8% | 33,500 |
| 2020 | 5,646 | 12.1% | 14.1% | 39,300 |
| 2019 | 10,119 | 13.1% | 16.5% | 48,400 |
| 2018 | 10,098 | 15.3% | 19.1% | 58,100 |
| 2017 | 7,262 | 18.6% | 21.8% | 69,000 |
| 2016 | 6,997 | 25.3% | 25.1% | 78,000 |
| 2015 | 6,840 | 28.1% | 28.1% | 86,300 |
| 2014 | 6,533 | 31.6% | 31.4% | 93,400 |
| 2013 | 4,794 | 34.7% | 34.3% | 100,400 |
| 2012 | 1,318 | 37.3% | 36.6% | 102,200 |
Advisories to look for in a Mazda CX-5's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Mazda CX-5, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge228.1
- Brake pads: wearing thin151.2
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing133.6
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened127.8
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement94.7
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material52.7
Checking a used Mazda CX-5 before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Mazda CX-5 fails more often than average on suspension and steering. Start there.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Steering
With the engine running, rock the wheel gently: there should be almost no free play. Listen for knocks on full lock and look for power steering fluid leaks.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Mazda CX-5 cars tested: Diesel 53%, Petrol 48%. Average age at test 7.5 years, average recorded mileage 62,700.
Mazda CX-5 MOT questions
What is the Mazda CX-5 MOT failure rate?
19.6% of Mazda CX-5 cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 72,338 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 21.2% of the time, so the Mazda CX-5 was 8% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Mazda CX-5 MOT?
Suspension caused the most failure items, at 89 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick", recorded 30.3 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Mazda CX-5 year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2019 registrations did best: 13.1% failed against an average of 16.5% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Mazda CX-5 will pass?
No. These are averages across every Mazda CX-5 tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Mazda models
- Mazda 230.4% failed
- Mazda 331.2% failed
- Mazda MX-521.7% failed
- Mazda 630.7% failed
- Mazda CX-316.5% failed
- Mazda CX-308.7% failed
Ranked close to the Mazda CX-5
- Volvo V60rank 95
- Land Rover Discovery Sportrank 96
- Volkswagen Sharanrank 97
- Mitsubishi ASXrank 99
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Mazda CX-5 cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.