Mazda MX-5: reliability by registration year
1990-2022 · 32 registration years · 86,320 first tests
Registration years
First-attempt MOT results for every MX-5 registration year with at least 500 first tests in 2025. Pass rates rise with newer cars, so read a year against its neighbours rather than against the top of the table. Years without their own report are listed here with the same figures.
| Year | First tests | First-attempt pass | Incl. PRS | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,300 | 94.2% | 97.0% | |
| 2021 | 1,426 | 94.5% | 96.2% | |
| 2020 | 1,038 | 91.7% | 94.4% | |
| 2019 | 3,880 | 91.6% | 94.0% | |
| 2018 | 4,111 | 89.1% | 92.5% | Brake pads (front) 13.8% |
| 2017 | 4,422 | 89.1% | 92.0% | Brake pads (front) 12.2% |
| 2016 | 3,934 | 86.1% | 88.9% | Brake performance (roller test, front) 16.7% |
| 2015 | 2,891 | 85.2% | 88.8% | |
| 2014 | 2,754 | 80.6% | 84.4% | |
| 2013 | 2,983 | 79.3% | 83.4% | Individual sidelight or tail light (front) 11.0% |
| 2012 | 2,987 | 79.4% | 83.7% | Coil spring (rear) 8.9% |
| 2011 | 3,235 | 76.0% | 80.8% | Coil spring (front) 13.9% |
| 2010 | 4,428 | 72.9% | 77.4% | Coil spring (front) 14.3% |
| 2009 | 3,926 | 71.1% | 75.6% | Coil spring (front) 14.6% |
| 2008 | 4,996 | 68.5% | 73.1% | Coil spring (front) 11.9% |
| 2007 | 6,988 | 69.4% | 73.5% | Coil spring (front) 11.5% |
| about 2 in every 100 better than the years either side. What most often failed a 2007 MX-5: Coil spring (front) (11.5%) · Suspension mounting area (rear) (10.7%) · Petrol emissions (with catalyst) (9.1%) | ||||
| 2006 | 5,552 | 66.5% | 70.1% | Suspension mounting area (rear) 20.8% |
| 2005 | 2,775 | 65.6% | 69.9% | Petrol emissions (with catalyst) 13.5% |
| 2004 | 2,580 | 64.1% | 68.9% | Petrol emissions (with catalyst) 16.1% |
| 2003 | 3,309 | 62.4% | 67.1% | Petrol emissions (with catalyst) 15.2% |
| 2002 | 2,616 | 65.2% | 70.0% | Petrol emissions (with catalyst) 16.5% |
| 2001 | 1,631 | 66.6% | 72.7% | Petrol emissions (with catalyst) 24.4% |
| 2000 | 2,217 | 62.3% | 67.9% | Petrol emissions (with catalyst) 35.2% |
| about 4 in every 100 worse than the years either side. What most often failed a 2000 MX-5: Petrol emissions (with catalyst) (35.2%) · Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test) (9.0%) · Individual sidelight or tail light (front) (7.6%) | ||||
| 1999 | 2,255 | 65.2% | 69.1% | Petrol emissions (with catalyst) 30.2% |
| 1998 | 2,159 | 67.5% | 72.6% | Petrol emissions (with catalyst) 26.1% |
| 1997 | 1,589 | 67.4% | 71.2% | Petrol emissions (with catalyst) 24.8% |
| 1996 | 1,076 | 65.5% | 69.0% | Petrol emissions (with catalyst) 29.1% |
| 1995 | 721 | 67.5% | 70.9% | Petrol emissions (with catalyst) 28.3% |
| 1993 | 523 | 66.9% | 72.3% | |
| 1992 | 556 | 61.9% | 65.8% | |
| 1991 | 756 | 64.4% | 69.2% | |
| 1990 | 706 | 68.0% | 72.7% | |