At a Glance
Mazda has 156 identified common problems across 35 models, with the B-series being the most affected model and suspension the most common problem category. Based on 8.8M MOT tests from DVSA data.
Problems are patterns in the DVSA data that occur significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average — confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read how we identify common car problems →
Below: per-model breakdowns of Mazda common problems, MOT failure rates by category, pass-rate data, and repair patterns drawn from 8.8M DVSA MOT tests across 20 years. Click any model to see generation-specific issues, mileage-banded fault patterns, and the most common MOT failures recorded by UK testers.
MOT Tests & Failures by Model
Top Mazda models by MOT tests, failures, and identified problems from DVSA data
Hover over each bar for a full breakdown. Tap any bar to view that model's problems.
Showing total MOT tests, failures, and known problems per make. Hover over each bar for a full breakdown.
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Mazda Common Problems by Model
Select a model to see problems by generation
Showing top 9 by MOT test volume — search to find any of 35 Mazda models.
Mx-5
Most common: Brakes
Mazda3
Most common: Suspension
Mazda6
Most common: Brakes
Mazda2
Most common: Tyres & Wheels
323
Most common: Suspension
Cx-5
Most common: Tyres & Wheels
Mazda5
Most common: Suspension
Rx-8
Most common: Tyres & Wheels
626
Most common: Brakes
Most Common Mazda MOT Failures
Every reason Mazda vehicles fail their MOT, ranked by frequency. Select an individual year to see only that year’s failures, or stay on ‘All time’ for the combined picture across our 20 years of DVSA data. Scroll inside the table for the full list.
| # | Failure | % of failures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension joint or bush worn | 8.28% |
| 2 | Tyre tread depth below limit | 7.59% |
| 3 | Wiper blades deteriorated | 7.56% |
| 4 | Tyre condition | 5.85% |
| 5 | Brake performance below minimum | 5.85% |
| 6 | Number plate lamp not working | 5.21% |
| 7 | Brake pads or linings worn | 4.55% |
| 8 | Front lamp not working | 3.90% |
| 9 | Brake hydraulic component worn | 3.01% |
| 10 | Coil spring broken or corroded | 2.91% |
| 11 | Windscreen washer not working | 2.87% |
| 12 | Stop lamp not working | 2.74% |
| 13 | Headlamp aim defect | 2.56% |
| 14 | Position lamp not working | 2.56% |
| 15 | Exhaust system fault | 2.45% |
| 16 | Suspension mounting corroded | 2.21% |
| 17 | Catalytic converter efficiency low | 1.92% |
| 18 | Ball joint dust cover split | 1.89% |
| 19 | Brake disc or drum worn | 1.87% |
| 20 | Shock absorber worn or leaking | 1.85% |
| 21 | Headlamp fault | 1.57% |
| 22 | Driveshaft fault | 1.49% |
| 23 | Spark ignition emissions above threshold | 1.48% |
| 24 | Parking brake performance below minimum | 1.15% |
| 25 | Track rod end worn | 1.09% |
| 26 | Rigid brake pipe corroded or damaged | 1.01% |
| 27 | Chassis condition | 0.94% |
| 28 | Body corrosion or damage | 0.92% |
| 29 | Windscreen damage affecting view | 0.73% |
| 30 | Fog lamp not working | 0.73% |
| 31 | Front suspension joint worn | 0.71% |
| 32 | Suspension linkage fault | 0.56% |
| 33 | Parking brake condition | 0.54% |
| 34 | Indicator fault | 0.51% |
| 35 | Vehicle structure corrosion | 0.48% |
| 36 | ABS fault | 0.45% |
| 37 | Front suspension fault | 0.39% |
| 38 | Airbag warning light on | 0.39% |
| 39 | Seat belt condition | 0.36% |
| 40 | Battery loose or leaking | 0.34% |
| 41 | Steering rack fault | 0.34% |
| 42 | Subframe mounting corroded | 0.33% |
| 43 | Rear lamp not working | 0.33% |
| 44 | Mirror damaged or missing | 0.31% |
| 45 | Horn not working | 0.29% |
| 46 | Rear fog lamp not working | 0.24% |
| 47 | Compression ignition emissions above threshold | 0.24% |
| 48 | Wheel bearing worn | 0.21% |
| 49 | Brake pedal movement restricted | 0.21% |
| 50 | Flexible brake hose damaged | 0.20% |
| 51 | Tyre size or type not matched | 0.20% |
| 52 | Brake caliper fault | 0.19% |
| 53 | Suspension arm worn or corroded | 0.19% |
| 54 | Tyre valve stem damaged | 0.18% |
| 55 | Rear suspension fault | 0.17% |
| 56 | Brake fluid leak | 0.16% |
| 57 | Spring mounting corroded | 0.13% |
| 58 | Tyre pressure monitoring system fault | 0.13% |
| 59 | Brake lever fault | 0.13% |
| 60 | Rear reflector damaged or missing | 0.12% |
| 61 | Electronic stability control fault | 0.12% |
| 62 | Brake pedal fault | 0.11% |
| 63 | Power steering pipe or hose leaking | 0.10% |
| 64 | Fuel cap damaged or missing | 0.09% |
| 65 | Dashboard warning lamp fault | 0.09% |
| 66 | Anti-roll bar worn or corroded | 0.08% |
| 67 | Engine oil leak | 0.08% |
| 68 | Headlamp levelling device fault | 0.07% |
| 69 | Handbrake lever fault | 0.07% |
| 70 | Exhaust emissions above threshold (non-catalyst) | 0.07% |
| 71 | Steering lock fault | 0.06% |
| 72 | Electrical switch fault | 0.06% |
| 73 | Bumper damaged or insecure | 0.06% |
| 74 | MacPherson strut worn | 0.06% |
| 75 | Subframe corrosion or damage | 0.06% |
| 76 | Brake fluid level low or contaminated | 0.05% |
| 77 | Electrical wiring fault | 0.04% |
| 78 | CV joint worn | 0.04% |
| 79 | Fuel tank corroded or leaking | 0.03% |
| 80 | Handbrake cable fault | 0.03% |
| 81 | Brake fluid warning light on | 0.03% |
| 82 | Tie bar or rod worn or corroded | 0.03% |
| 83 | Bonnet catch or hinge fault | 0.03% |
| 84 | Undertray damaged or missing | 0.03% |
| 85 | Steering operation fault | 0.03% |
| 86 | Driver seat fault | 0.03% |
| 87 | Brake cable, rod, lever or linkage fault | 0.03% |
| 88 | Driver airbag fault | 0.02% |
| 89 | Fuel pipe corroded or damaged | 0.02% |
| 90 | Body security fault | 0.02% |
| 91 | King pin or swivel pin worn | 0.02% |
| 92 | Steering free play excessive | 0.02% |
| 93 | Vehicle floor corroded | 0.02% |
| 94 | Suspension retaining or locking device fault | 0.02% |
| 95 | Drag link end worn | 0.02% |
| 96 | Brake fluid reservoir fault | 0.02% |
| 97 | Bonded suspension condition | 0.02% |
| 98 | Steering arm worn | 0.02% |
| 99 | Suspension unit fault | 0.02% |
| 100 | Rear fog lamp warning light fault | 0.02% |
| 101 | Steering wheel damaged or insecure | 0.02% |
| 102 | Engine mounting worn or broken | 0.01% |
| 103 | Trailing arm worn or corroded | 0.01% |
| 104 | Front passenger door fault | 0.01% |
| 105 | Suspension linkage attachment bracket or mounting corroded | 0.01% |
| 106 | Passenger seat fault | 0.01% |
| 107 | Reversing lamp not working | 0.01% |
| 108 | Propshaft fault | 0.01% |
| 109 | Brake air or vacuum system fault | 0.01% |
| 110 | Headlamp washer not working | 0.01% |
| 111 | Driver door fault | 0.01% |
| 112 | Hydraulic brake cylinder fault | 0.01% |
| 113 | Power steering pump fault | 0.01% |
| 114 | Power steering ram fault | <0.01% |
| 115 | Towbar fault | <0.01% |
| 116 | Transmission oil leak | <0.01% |
| 117 | Exhaust leak | <0.01% |
| 118 | Universal joint worn | <0.01% |
| 119 | Hydraulic fluid leak | <0.01% |
| 120 | Steering column fault | <0.01% |
| 121 | Boot lid damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 122 | Leaf spring broken or corroded | <0.01% |
| 123 | Brake back plate corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 124 | Fuel hose damaged or leaking | <0.01% |
| 125 | Radius arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 126 | Spare wheel fault | <0.01% |
| 127 | Body strengthening plate corroded | <0.01% |
| 128 | Suspension rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 129 | Speedometer fault | <0.01% |
| 130 | Steering coupling worn | <0.01% |
| 131 | Brake master cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 132 | Daytime running lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 133 | Electric power steering fault | <0.01% |
| 134 | Steering drive system fault | <0.01% |
| 135 | Brake wheel cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 136 | Brake servo fault | <0.01% |
| 137 | Exhaust heat shield or sound insulation damaged | <0.01% |
| 138 | Main beam warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 139 | Mirror or camera fault | <0.01% |
| 140 | Brake valve fault | <0.01% |
| 141 | Steering box fault | <0.01% |
| 142 | Tailgate damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 143 | Brake master cylinder or servo mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 144 | Window damaged or won't operate | <0.01% |
| 145 | Passenger airbag fault | <0.01% |
| 146 | Front fog lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 147 | Dip switch fault | <0.01% |
| 148 | Electronic braking system fault | <0.01% |
| 149 | Axle corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 150 | Leaf spring eye worn or broken | <0.01% |
| 151 | Load sensing valve fault | <0.01% |
| 152 | Brake clevis joint worn | <0.01% |
| 153 | Additional braking device fault | <0.01% |
| 154 | Steering intermediate drop arm worn | <0.01% |
| 155 | Torque or reaction arm worn | <0.01% |
| 156 | Torsion bar worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 157 | Handbrake mechanism or mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 158 | Brake linkage mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 159 | Indicator warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 160 | Securing bolts missing or insecure | <0.01% |
| 161 | Axle beam corroded or cracked | <0.01% |
| 162 | Brake pressure or vacuum buildup insufficient | <0.01% |
| 163 | Seat belt anchorage fault | <0.01% |
| 164 | Brake relay lever fault | <0.01% |
| 165 | Outline marker lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 166 | Electronic parking brake fault | <0.01% |
| 167 | Transmission drive belt fault | <0.01% |
| 168 | Panhard rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 169 | Steering lock stop fault | <0.01% |
| 170 | Steering shaft fault | <0.01% |
| 171 | Seat belt pre-tensioner fault | <0.01% |
| 172 | Seat belt or padding damaged | <0.01% |
| 173 | Access panel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 174 | Suspension coupling worn | <0.01% |
| 175 | Anchor bracket corroded | <0.01% |
| 176 | Brake stationary pin worn | <0.01% |
| 177 | Reversing lamp switch fault | <0.01% |
| 178 | Full power hydraulic brake fault | <0.01% |
| 179 | Wheel hub fault | <0.01% |
| 180 | Leaf spring shackle bracket corroded | <0.01% |
| 181 | Loading door damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 182 | Hazard warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 183 | Spring saddle corroded | <0.01% |
| 184 | Halfshaft fault | <0.01% |
| 185 | Steering damper fault | <0.01% |
| 186 | Stub axle worn | <0.01% |
| 187 | Semaphore indicator fault | <0.01% |
| 188 | Hinged tailboard damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 189 | Passenger compartment corrosion | <0.01% |
| 190 | Step damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 191 | Air suspension levelling valve fault | <0.01% |
| 192 | Leaf spring slipper worn | <0.01% |
| 193 | Hand-operated brake valve condition | <0.01% |
| 194 | Handbrake fails on gradient | <0.01% |
| 195 | Brake slack adjuster fault | <0.01% |
| 196 | Air brake cylinder or actuator fault | <0.01% |
| 197 | Dropside damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 198 | Speed limiter fault | <0.01% |
| 199 | Hydraulic suspension accumulator fault | <0.01% |
| 200 | Brake pedal linkage fault | <0.01% |
| 201 | Seat belt load limiter fault | <0.01% |
| 202 | Steering head bearings worn | <0.01% |
| 203 | Suspension air bellows damaged | <0.01% |
| 204 | Chain drive fault | <0.01% |
| 205 | Handlebars damaged | <0.01% |
| 206 | Steering linkage fault | <0.01% |
Showing all 206 reasons — scroll inside the table for the full list.
Mazda MOT Failures by Category
Total MOT failure occurrences for Mazda, grouped by category. Same data as the failures table above — just sliced by category instead of fault title. Hover a slice for the top failures in each category.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common Mazda problems?
Based on analysis of 8.8M Mazda MOT tests from DVSA data, Mazda has 156 identified common problems across 35 models. The Mazda B-series has the most recorded problems. Suspension issues are the most common category.
Which Mazda model has the most problems?
By total identified common problems, the Mazda B-series has the highest count with 49 problems. This is partly because it is one of the more popular Mazda models on UK roads. See the models grid for a full breakdown.
How is this data calculated?
We analyse anonymised DVSA MOT test records under the Open Government Licence. An issue is classified as a "Common Problem" when it occurs significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average, confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read the full methodology page for details.
Can I report a problem with my Mazda?
Yes — use the "Tell Us About Your Problem" form on this page. Your report helps other Mazda owners spot problems early. We review all submissions before they are published.
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