How reliable is the Mazda Bongo compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Mazda Bongo, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 54.1% across 8,769 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 Bongo?

The most common advisory is "Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users", noted on 17.1% of all Mazda Bongo tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 132,600 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.

Which Mazda Bongo years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Mazda Bongo cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 70.2%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 53.4%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.

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

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 70.2% of Mazda Bongo tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 53.4%. 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 Bongo models petrol or diesel?

Of the Mazda Bongo cars tested, 50% are petrol, 49% are diesel, 1% are lpg. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Mazda Bongo MOT pass rate & common failures

From 8,769 recorded MOT tests of the Mazda Bongo, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 8,769 MOT tests, 54.1% of Mazda Bongo tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Mazda Bongo 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 strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, which appears in 47.4% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 132,600 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

54.1%unadjusted, not comparable8,769 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Bongo. 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 8,769 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired47.4%
1,682 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
2.Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced17.0%
604 occurrencesCorrosion in a structural area explained
3.An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning15.7%
559 occurrencesLamp not working explained
4.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen14.2%
503 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
5.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements11.7%
415 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
6.Body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point11.0%
390 occurrencesCorrosion in a structural area explained
7.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc10.8%
382 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
8.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning10.7%
381 occurrencesLamp not working explained
9.Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced9.1%
324 occurrencesCorrosion in a structural area explained
10.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc8.7%
308 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

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

1.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users17.1%
1,497 tests
2.A tyre seriously damaged16.4%
1,442 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured16.3%
1,432 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements11.9%
1,040 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
5.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened10.0%
880 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
6.Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced9.9%
871 testsCorrosion in a structural area explained
7.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.4%
826 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
8.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired9.0%
793 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Mazda Bongo

The 18 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

How wear changes the picture

Bongo pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Mazda Bongo passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 3 to 5 was first used in 2020–2022.

3–5 yrsreg. 2020–202270%

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–201964%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201653%

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–201355%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier53%

Read this as an age curve rather than a verdict on particular model years. Nearly every car passes less often as it gets older, so a newer Bongo outscoring an older one says more about wear than about how that year’s cars were built. Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Bongo fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 132,600
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol50.3%
Diesel48.7%
LPG0.9%

Trim names grouped into this model (15)

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

BONGO - MOTOR HOME
BONGO AERO
BONGO AERO CITY RUNNER
BONGO AERO FRIENDEE
BONGO AUTO FREE TOP
BONGO B2000
BONGO B2500
BONGO MOTOR HOME
BONGO MOTORHOME
BONGO MPV
BONGO NAVI
BONGO TD
BONGO V6
BONGO VAN
MAZDA BONGO

Check a specific Mazda Bongo

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 Bongo compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Mazda Bongo, 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 54.1% across 8,769 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 Bongo?: The item recorded most often is "The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired", which appears in 47.4% of failed Mazda Bongo 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 Bongo?: The most common advisory is "Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users", noted on 17.1% of all Mazda Bongo tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Mazda Bongo usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 132,600 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.
Which Mazda Bongo years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Mazda Bongo cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 70.2%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 53.4%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.
Does a Mazda Bongo get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 70.2% of Mazda Bongo tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 53.4%. 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 Bongo models petrol or diesel?: Of the Mazda Bongo cars tested, 50% are petrol, 49% are diesel, 1% are lpg. 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.