Is the Mazda 2 reliable?

On MOT evidence the Mazda 2 is below average. It passes 69.8% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 173 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Mazda 2?

The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 22.8% of failed Mazda 2 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Mazda 2?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 21.7% of all Mazda 2 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Mazda 2 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 64,163 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Does a Mazda 2 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 91.4% of Mazda 2 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 53.8%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Mazda 2 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Mazda 2 cars tested, 97% are petrol, 2% are diesel, 1% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Mazda 2 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 127,502 recorded MOT tests of the Mazda 2, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Mazda 2 passes 69.8% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is below average, ranking it 173 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 127,502 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which appears in 22.8% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 64,163 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

69.8%national average72.3%unadjusted69.7%range covered98%rank173 of 262

The 2 is 2.5 percentage points below the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is below average. The unadjusted figure is 69.7%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Mazda 2 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn22.8%
7,146 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
2.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened17.2%
5,393 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
3.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning12.8%
4,020 occurrencesLamp not working explained
4.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play12.1%
3,809 occurrencesBall joint worn explained
5.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements11.4%
3,585 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
6.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded11.4%
3,580 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
7.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen11.1%
3,473 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements9.7%
3,037 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
9.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage7.7%
2,424 occurrencesShock absorber defective explained
10.A tyre seriously damaged6.5%
2,046 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Mazda 2 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements21.7%
27,685 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded18.3%
23,388 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged17.4%
22,189 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded7.8%
9,955 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm7.0%
8,888 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured6.9%
8,807 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
7.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened6.0%
7,603 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
8.Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow4.6%
5,878 testsLamp of the wrong colour, position or intensity explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs91%

6–8 yrs85%

9–11 yrs74%

12–14 yrs61%

15+ yrs54%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The 2 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 64,163
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol96.9%
Diesel2.1%
Hybrid1.0%

Trim names grouped into this model (23)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

2 100TH ANNIVERSARY ED MHEV
2 GT SPORT AUTO
2 GT SPORT MHEV
2 GT SPORT NAV MHEV
2 GT SPORT TECH MHEV
2 HOMURA AKA AUTO
2 HOMURA AKA MHEV
2 HOMURA MHEV
2 SE-L
2 SE-L MHEV
2 SE-L NAV MHEV
2 SPORT
2 SPORT AUTO
2 SPORT MHEV
2 SPORT NAV
2 SPORT NAV AUTO
2 SPORT NAV MHEV
2 SPORT VENTURE EDITION
MAZDA 2
MAZDA 2 HYBRID AGILE CVT
MAZDA 2 HYBRID HOMURA + CVT
MAZDA 2 HYBRID PURE CVT
MAZDA 2 HYBRID SELECT CVT

Check a specific Mazda 2

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Mazda models

Mazda 3 — 70.6% adjusted
Mazda MX-5 — 77.2% adjusted
Mazda CX-5 — 78.5% adjusted
Mazda 6 — 73.3% adjusted
Mazda CX-3 — 83.5% unadjusted
Mazda CX-30 — 91.3% unadjusted
All Mazda models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Volkswagen UP — 76.8% adjusted, ranked 88
Toyota Corolla — 78.8% adjusted, ranked 64
Audi A5 — 79.1% adjusted, ranked 61
Peugeot 308 — 67.5% adjusted, ranked 202

Common questions

Is the Mazda 2 reliable?: On MOT evidence the Mazda 2 is below average. It passes 69.8% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 173 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Mazda 2?: The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 22.8% of failed Mazda 2 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Mazda 2?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 21.7% of all Mazda 2 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Mazda 2 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 64,163 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Does a Mazda 2 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 91.4% of Mazda 2 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 53.8%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Mazda 2 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Mazda 2 cars tested, 97% are petrol, 2% are diesel, 1% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.