Is the Mazda 6 reliable?

On MOT evidence the Mazda 6 is about average. It passes 73.3% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 132 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 6?

The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 14.0% of failed Mazda 6 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 6?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 25.5% of all Mazda 6 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Mazda 6 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 93,353 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 6 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 89.9% of Mazda 6 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 56.2%. 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 6 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Mazda 6 cars tested, 52% are diesel, 48% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Mazda 6 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 56,485 recorded MOT tests of the Mazda 6, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Mazda 6 passes 73.3% 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 about average, ranking it 132 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 56,485 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which appears in 14.0% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 93,353 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

73.3%national average72.3%unadjusted69.2%range covered99%rank132 of 262

The 6 is 1.0 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is about average. The unadjusted figure is 69.2%; 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 6 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 worn14.0%
2,050 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
2.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning14.0%
2,045 occurrencesLamp not working explained
3.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened13.5%
1,978 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm13.3%
1,946 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement11.1%
1,618 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
6.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements10.5%
1,540 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
7.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc8.4%
1,235 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
8.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements8.1%
1,180 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
9.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen7.5%
1,092 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
10.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded7.4%
1,085 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Mazda 6 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 requirements25.5%
14,429 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured16.5%
9,341 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded14.5%
8,218 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm13.8%
7,805 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn13.2%
7,440 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded12.0%
6,798 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
7.A tyre seriously damaged11.7%
6,600 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
8.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded11.1%
6,296 testsBrake pipe corroded explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs90%

6–8 yrs82%

9–11 yrs71%

12–14 yrs62%

15+ yrs56%

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

What gets tested

The 6 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 93,353
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel51.7%
Petrol48.3%

Trim names grouped into this model (9)

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

6 100TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION A
6 ESTATE
6 GT SPORT AUTO
6 KURO EDITION
6 SE-L
6 SE-L AUTO
6 SL
6 SPORT
6 SPORT NAV

Check a specific Mazda 6

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 CX-3 — 83.5% unadjusted
Mazda CX-30 — 91.3% unadjusted
All Mazda models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Peugeot Expert — 68.2% adjusted, ranked 193
Toyota Avensis — 75.2% adjusted, ranked 107
Ford Galaxy — 70.3% adjusted, ranked 170
Peugeot Boxer — 71.4% adjusted, ranked 157

Common questions

Is the Mazda 6 reliable?: On MOT evidence the Mazda 6 is about average. It passes 73.3% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 132 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 6?: The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 14.0% of failed Mazda 6 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 6?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 25.5% of all Mazda 6 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Mazda 6 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 93,353 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 6 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 89.9% of Mazda 6 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 56.2%. 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 6 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Mazda 6 cars tested, 52% are diesel, 48% are petrol. 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.