How reliable is the Mazda 5 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Mazda 5, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 52.9% across 8,764 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What do testers most often warn about on a Mazda 5?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 32.9% of all Mazda 5 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Mazda 5 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 105,934 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 5 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 9 to 11 years old, 65.8% of Mazda 5 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 47.4%. 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 5 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Mazda 5 cars tested, 72% are petrol, 28% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Mazda 5 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 8,764 recorded MOT tests of the Mazda 5, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 8,764 MOT tests, 52.9% of Mazda 5 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Mazda 5 fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, which appears in 18.8% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 105,934 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

52.9%unadjusted, not comparable8,764 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the 5. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 8,764 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Mazda 5 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning18.8%
652 occurrencesLamp not working explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn18.6%
644 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn17.4%
604 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn13.4%
466 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
5.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc11.0%
380 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
6.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements10.9%
378 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
7.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements10.8%
373 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
8.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm10.2%
353 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
9.Exhaust system leaking or insecure10.1%
351 occurrencesExhaust leaking or insecure explained
10.A tyre cords visible or damaged9.8%
341 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Mazda 5 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 requirements32.9%
2,879 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured20.2%
1,766 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn18.9%
1,655 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded18.7%
1,635 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm14.7%
1,292 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded14.6%
1,278 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn10.9%
958 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
8.A tyre seriously damaged10.6%
929 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

9–11 yrs66%

12–14 yrs59%

15+ yrs47%

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

What gets tested

The 5 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 105,934
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol71.9%
Diesel28.0%

Trim names grouped into this model (2)

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

5 SPORT NAV
MAZDA 5

Check a specific Mazda 5

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

Compare within the range

Other Mazda models

Mazda 2 — 69.8% adjusted
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
All Mazda models

Common questions

How reliable is the Mazda 5 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Mazda 5, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 52.9% across 8,764 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Mazda 5?: The item recorded most often is "A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning", which appears in 18.8% of failed Mazda 5 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 5?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 32.9% of all Mazda 5 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Mazda 5 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 105,934 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 5 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 9 to 11 years old, 65.8% of Mazda 5 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 47.4%. 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 5 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Mazda 5 cars tested, 72% are petrol, 28% are diesel. 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. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

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.