At a Glance
The Mazda B-series has 46 identified common problems across 2 generations, with the 5th gen UN (1998-2006) being the most affected generation and brakes the most common problem category. Based on 98K 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 our DVSA MOT data methodology →
Below: generation-by-generation comparison of Mazda B-series common problems, MOT failure types, and pass-rate data drawn from DVSA records. Click any generation to see fuel- and engine-specific fault patterns, mileage-banded repair guidance, and the most common MOT failures testers record.
MOT Tests & Failures by Generation
Mazda B-series generations by MOT tests, failures, and identified problems from DVSA data
Hover over each bar for a full breakdown. Tap any bar to view that generation's problems.
Showing total MOT tests, failures, and known problems per make. Hover over each bar for a full breakdown.
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Browse Mazda B-series Generations
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Most Common Mazda B-series MOT Failures
Every reason Mazda B-series 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 | Tyre tread depth below limit | 8.67% |
| 2 | Brake hydraulic component worn | 7.12% |
| 3 | Suspension joint or bush worn | 6.41% |
| 4 | Windscreen washer not working | 5.69% |
| 5 | Number plate lamp not working | 4.77% |
| 6 | Exhaust system fault | 4.58% |
| 7 | Front lamp not working | 4.26% |
| 8 | Wiper blades deteriorated | 4.10% |
| 9 | Headlamp aim defect | 2.91% |
| 10 | Chassis condition | 2.90% |
| 11 | Stop lamp not working | 2.73% |
| 12 | Brake performance below minimum | 2.66% |
| 13 | Track rod end worn | 2.52% |
| 14 | Rigid brake pipe corroded or damaged | 2.37% |
| 15 | Tyre condition | 2.35% |
| 16 | Brake pads or linings worn | 2.08% |
| 17 | Driveshaft fault | 1.97% |
| 18 | Suspension mounting corroded | 1.96% |
| 19 | Headlamp fault | 1.82% |
| 20 | Body corrosion or damage | 1.74% |
| 21 | Front suspension fault | 1.71% |
| 22 | Windscreen damage affecting view | 1.67% |
| 23 | Brake disc or drum worn | 1.49% |
| 24 | Fog lamp not working | 1.20% |
| 25 | Spring mounting corroded | 1.11% |
| 26 | Indicator fault | 1.10% |
| 27 | Shock absorber worn or leaking | 1.07% |
| 28 | Front suspension joint worn | 0.88% |
| 29 | Rear lamp not working | 0.86% |
| 30 | Seat belt condition | 0.86% |
| 31 | Mirror damaged or missing | 0.78% |
| 32 | Horn not working | 0.76% |
| 33 | Ball joint dust cover split | 0.74% |
| 34 | Position lamp not working | 0.66% |
| 35 | Vehicle structure corrosion | 0.64% |
| 36 | ABS fault | 0.60% |
| 37 | Rear fog lamp not working | 0.60% |
| 38 | Brake pedal fault | 0.42% |
| 39 | Fuel cap damaged or missing | 0.41% |
| 40 | Wheel bearing worn | 0.39% |
| 41 | Parking brake condition | 0.38% |
| 42 | Subframe mounting corroded | 0.35% |
| 43 | Leaf spring broken or corroded | 0.33% |
| 44 | Tyre size or type not matched | 0.31% |
| 45 | Flexible brake hose damaged | 0.30% |
| 46 | Dashboard warning lamp fault | 0.29% |
| 47 | Suspension linkage fault | 0.27% |
| 48 | Parking brake performance below minimum | 0.26% |
| 49 | Battery loose or leaking | 0.24% |
| 50 | Exhaust emissions above threshold (non-catalyst) | 0.23% |
| 51 | Electrical switch fault | 0.22% |
| 52 | Airbag warning light on | 0.20% |
| 53 | Brake pedal movement restricted | 0.19% |
| 54 | Compression ignition emissions above threshold | 0.19% |
| 55 | Drag link end worn | 0.18% |
| 56 | Brake fluid leak | 0.17% |
| 57 | Fuel tank corroded or leaking | 0.16% |
| 58 | Tyre valve stem damaged | 0.15% |
| 59 | Handbrake cable fault | 0.14% |
| 60 | Electrical wiring fault | 0.14% |
| 61 | Steering free play excessive | 0.12% |
| 62 | Securing bolts missing or insecure | 0.12% |
| 63 | Rear suspension fault | 0.12% |
| 64 | Suspension arm worn or corroded | 0.12% |
| 65 | Body security fault | 0.12% |
| 66 | Power steering pipe or hose leaking | 0.12% |
| 67 | Steering box fault | 0.11% |
| 68 | Leaf spring eye worn or broken | 0.11% |
| 69 | Towbar fault | 0.11% |
| 70 | Rear reflector damaged or missing | 0.10% |
| 71 | Fuel pipe corroded or damaged | 0.10% |
| 72 | Anti-roll bar worn or corroded | 0.10% |
| 73 | Brake master cylinder or servo mounting fault | 0.09% |
| 74 | Brake caliper fault | 0.09% |
| 75 | Brake fluid level low or contaminated | 0.09% |
| 76 | Spare wheel fault | 0.09% |
| 77 | Vehicle floor corroded | 0.09% |
| 78 | Steering arm worn | 0.08% |
| 79 | Propshaft fault | 0.08% |
| 80 | Brake linkage mounting fault | 0.07% |
| 81 | Steering operation fault | 0.07% |
| 82 | Load sensing valve fault | 0.06% |
| 83 | Spark ignition emissions above threshold | 0.06% |
| 84 | Suspension retaining or locking device fault | 0.06% |
| 85 | Anchor bracket corroded | 0.06% |
| 86 | Steering lock stop fault | 0.06% |
| 87 | Catalytic converter efficiency low | 0.05% |
| 88 | Brake air or vacuum system fault | 0.05% |
| 89 | Steering rack fault | 0.05% |
| 90 | Tailgate damaged or insecure | 0.05% |
| 91 | Leaf spring shackle bracket corroded | 0.05% |
| 92 | Steering lock fault | 0.05% |
| 93 | Brake cable, rod, lever or linkage fault | 0.04% |
| 94 | Fuel hose damaged or leaking | 0.04% |
| 95 | Bonnet catch or hinge fault | 0.04% |
| 96 | Rear fog lamp warning light fault | 0.04% |
| 97 | Headlamp levelling device fault | 0.04% |
| 98 | Steering intermediate drop arm worn | 0.04% |
| 99 | Engine oil leak | 0.03% |
| 100 | Brake lever fault | 0.03% |
| 101 | Power steering pump fault | 0.03% |
| 102 | Brake fluid reservoir fault | 0.03% |
| 103 | Exhaust leak | 0.03% |
| 104 | Spring saddle corroded | 0.03% |
| 105 | Driver door fault | 0.03% |
| 106 | Handbrake mechanism or mounting fault | 0.03% |
| 107 | Speedometer fault | 0.03% |
| 108 | Bonded suspension condition | 0.02% |
| 109 | Body strengthening plate corroded | 0.02% |
| 110 | Brake valve fault | 0.02% |
| 111 | Hinged tailboard damaged or insecure | 0.02% |
| 112 | Subframe corrosion or damage | 0.02% |
| 113 | Suspension linkage attachment bracket or mounting corroded | 0.02% |
| 114 | Coil spring broken or corroded | 0.02% |
| 115 | Tie bar or rod worn or corroded | 0.02% |
| 116 | Boot lid damaged or insecure | 0.02% |
| 117 | Brake fluid warning light on | 0.02% |
| 118 | Steering wheel damaged or insecure | 0.02% |
| 119 | Bumper damaged or insecure | 0.01% |
| 120 | CV joint worn | 0.01% |
| 121 | Driver seat fault | 0.01% |
| 122 | Handbrake lever fault | 0.01% |
| 123 | Hydraulic brake cylinder fault | 0.01% |
| 124 | Hydraulic fluid leak | 0.01% |
| 125 | Suspension unit fault | 0.01% |
| 126 | Window damaged or won't operate | 0.01% |
| 127 | Brake wheel cylinder fault | 0.01% |
| 128 | Passenger seat fault | 0.01% |
| 129 | Brake back plate corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 130 | Brake relay lever fault | <0.01% |
| 131 | Driver airbag fault | <0.01% |
| 132 | Front passenger door fault | <0.01% |
| 133 | Torsion bar worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 134 | Steering coupling worn | <0.01% |
| 135 | Leaf spring slipper worn | <0.01% |
| 136 | Loading door damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 137 | Dip switch fault | <0.01% |
| 138 | Main beam warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 139 | Power steering ram fault | <0.01% |
| 140 | Axle beam corroded or cracked | <0.01% |
| 141 | Axle corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 142 | Steering column fault | <0.01% |
| 143 | Step damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 144 | Transmission oil leak | <0.01% |
| 145 | Additional braking device fault | <0.01% |
| 146 | Brake clevis joint worn | <0.01% |
| 147 | Brake slack adjuster fault | <0.01% |
| 148 | Electronic stability control fault | <0.01% |
| 149 | Indicator warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 150 | Mirror or camera fault | <0.01% |
| 151 | Seat belt or padding damaged | <0.01% |
| 152 | Steering drive system fault | <0.01% |
| 153 | Steering shaft fault | <0.01% |
| 154 | Wheel hub fault | <0.01% |
| 155 | King pin or swivel pin worn | <0.01% |
| 156 | Access panel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 157 | Brake master cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 158 | Brake stationary pin worn | <0.01% |
| 159 | Dropside damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 160 | Electric power steering fault | <0.01% |
| 161 | Engine mounting worn or broken | <0.01% |
| 162 | Front fog lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 163 | Hand-operated brake valve condition | <0.01% |
| 164 | Outline marker lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 165 | Reversing lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 166 | Steering damper fault | <0.01% |
| 167 | Torque or reaction arm worn | <0.01% |
| 168 | Transmission drive belt fault | <0.01% |
| 169 | Undertray damaged or missing | <0.01% |
| 170 | MacPherson strut worn | <0.01% |
Showing all 170 reasons — scroll inside the table for the full list.
Mazda B-series MOT Failures by Category
Total MOT failure occurrences for the Mazda B-series, 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 B-series problems?
Based on analysis of 98K Mazda B-series MOT tests from DVSA data, we have 46 identified common problems across 2 generations. The most frequently flagged issue is "Brake hydraulic component worn". Brakes is the most common problem category.
Which Mazda B-series generation has the most problems?
The Mazda B-series 5th gen UN (1998-2006) (1998–2006) has the highest number of identified common problems (61). Click the generation card above for the 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 B-series?
Yes — use the "Tell Us About Your Problem" form on this page. Your report helps other Mazda B-series owners spot problems early. All submissions are reviewed before being added to the public database.
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