2025 MOT results
Mazda 5 common problems
The most common reason a Mazda 5 fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 17.9% of its 4,128 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 7 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: emissions above the limit at 7.8% of failures against 2.6% expected; a worn steering or suspension joint at 9.0% of failures against 3.2% expected; an exhaust leak at 8.3% of failures against 3.6% expected.
- Tests in 2025 8,765 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 47.1% 4,128 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 13.9% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 75.3% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Mazda 5 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Mazda 5 tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 17.9% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 13.4% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 10.9% |
| Linkage ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 9.0% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 9.0% |
| Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 8.3% |
| Catalyst emissions: lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.8% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 7.7% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.5% |
| Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension | 7.4% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.3% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 7.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Sidelight out
17.9% of failures 12.4% expected somewhat more often
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
13.4% of failures 6.2% expected 2.2 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Worn suspension bushes
10.9% of failures 5.3% expected 2.1 times as often
Worn rubber bushes in a suspension arm, letting the arm move under load.
Perished or cracked rubber at the inner ends of the lower arms, visible with the wheel turned.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
9.0% of failures 3.2% expected 2.8 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Split joint boot
9.0% of failures 5.8% expected 1.6 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
-
Exhaust leak
8.3% of failures 3.6% expected 2.3 times as often
A hole or split letting exhaust gas out before the tailpipe.
A blowing or rasping note under load, loudest from cold.
Which parts of the car fail
Suspension is the area that most often fails a Mazda 5, on 49.3% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 39.8%.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 49.3% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 43.5% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 23.2% |
| Tyres | 20.9% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 20.9% |
| Brakes | 20.8% |
| Visibility | 14.0% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 4.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
75.3% of Mazda 5 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Mazda 5s, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 25.6% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 15.7% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 14.3% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 13.2% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 12.1% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 9.3% |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 8.9% |
| Linkage ball joint has slight play Suspension | 8.6% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 7.8% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.9% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 6.6% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 6.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Mazda 5 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Mazda 5?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 17.9% of failed Mazda 5 tests. Across categories, suspension is the area that most often fails one, on 49.3% of failed tests.
How often does a Mazda 5 fail its MOT?
47.1% of Mazda 5 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 8,765 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 37 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Mazda 5 than on other cars?
Yes. “Catalyst emissions: lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits” appears on 7.8% of its failures against 2.6% for cars of the same age, and “Linkage ball joint excessively worn” appears on 9.0% of its failures against 3.2% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Mazda 5 aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 8,765 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.