At a glance
How 545 first tests went in 2025.
- Passed first time
- 56 in every 100
- Did not pass first time
- 44 in every 100240 failed first-attempt tests
- The typical car
- 20 yearsabout 115,772 miles
- First tests counted
- 545
How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.
These are patterns across 2005 Mazda Bongo vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.
Suspension
Two faults. The strongest is the suspension mounting area (front): 6.9 times as often as on similar cars.
Figures below are measured across the 240 failed first attempts in 2025 that had a mileage recorded, which allows a like-for-like comparison.
We only list faults with at least 20 failures and a rate of about 2.0 times that of similar cars, which keeps one-off results out of the list.
Suspension mounting area (front)
What it means
The load bearing structure within a set distance of a sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting is a prescribed area. Major applies when its strength or continuity is significantly reduced or it is inadequately repaired. Dangerous applies when it is so weakened that control of the vehicle is likely to be adversely affected.
Suspension mounting area (rear)
What it means
The load bearing structure within a set distance of a sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting is a prescribed area. Major applies when its strength or continuity is significantly reduced or it is inadequately repaired. Dangerous applies when it is so weakened that control of the vehicle is likely to be adversely affected.
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.
Lamps and electrical
One fault: rear fog light, 6.4 times as often as on similar cars.
Rear fog light
What it means
A missing obligatory rear fog lamp, one that is not working, or one that does not emit a steady red light is graded Major. A rear fog lamp adversely affected by the operation of any other lamp is Major too. The manual allows it to go out when main beam is switched on or when dipped beam headlamps are switched off.
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.
Body and structure
One fault: chassis condition (rear), 5.3 times as often as on similar cars.
Chassis condition (rear)
What it means
A main load-bearing structural member that is fractured, deformed, modified or inadequately repaired is Major when structural rigidity is significantly reduced, and Dangerous where steering or braking is likely to be adversely affected. Corrosion of the body, cab or chassis at a mounting point is Dangerous where overall security or stability is impaired.
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.
Visibility
One fault: windscreen wipers (front), 2.7 times as often as on similar cars.
Windscreen wipers (front)
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.
MOT pass rates
How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.
- Passed first time
- 56in every 100
- Passed on the first test.
- Fixed at the station
- 6in every 100
- Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
- Failed
- 38in every 100
- Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.
First-attempt pass 56.0% of 545 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 62.4%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 6 fixed and the 38 not fixed make the 44 in every 100 that did not pass first time.
Same model, other years
Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.
Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb. A year earlier (2024), when these cars were a year younger, 57 in every 100 passed first time.
| Year | Passed first time | First tests |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 46 in every 100 | 409 |
| 1996 | 46 in every 100 | 513 |
| 1997 | 46 in every 100 | 479 |
| 1998 | 44 in every 100 | 320 |
| 1999 | 55 in every 100 | 468 |
| 2000 | 57 in every 100 | 465 |
| 2001 | 57 in every 100 | 496 |
| 2002 | 64 in every 100 | 557 |
| 2003 | 58 in every 100 | 353 |
| 2004 | 61 in every 100 | 479 |
| 2005 This car | 56 in every 100 | 545 |
| 2006 | 52 in every 100 | 433 |
| 2007 | 49 in every 100 | 402 |
FAQs
Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.
About this data
How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.
These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars, not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.
What we include
UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.
Same-day repairs
PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.
How we compare
We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.
What this does not cover
- MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics; this is not a full reliability score.
- Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
- Age and mileage matching reduces, but does not remove, differences in how cars were used and maintained.
- If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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