Model Reports
8 min readUpdated 11 Sep 2026
DVSA open data · 3,235 tests analysed
Mazda MX-5 2011: reliability & common MOT faults
775 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2011 Mazda MX-5 in 2025. Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.
Coil spring (front) was the most common reason a 2011 MX-5 failed its MOT — 13.9% of its failed first attempts.
First-attempt pass
76.0%
of 3,235 first tests (2025)
First tests
3,235
test year 2025
Failed first attempts
775
failed first-attempt tests
MOT pass rates
First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.
First-attempt pass
76.0%
of 3,235 first tests (2025)
Official-style pass
80.8%
incl. same-day PRS fixes
First tests
3,235
class 4 · first MOT of the year
Typical age 14.0 yrs · median mileage 54,542 mi
vs 2024:
+1.4 pp first-attempt
Note:
Class 4 cars · first MOT of the year per vehicle · P/PRS/F outcomes (2025 data).
PRS (fixed at the station the same day) counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate.
Raw outcomes for this cohort — not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix.
MOT doesn't test engine or gearbox internals.
Common faults
Failure patterns that show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars.
These MOT failure patterns show up more often on this registration year than on
similar cars of the same class, age, and mileage.
Shares below are measured across the 775 failed
first attempts in 2025
that the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.
Standout: Linkage ball joint dust cover (rear) — 3.9% of this year's failed first attempts
Recorded on 30 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 55× more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. That is what makes it unusual for its class, which is a different question from what is most likely to fail; the buying checklist ranks by that. The full ranked list is in the table below.
No patterns met the strongest callout thresholds on this page; showing the highest-lift
rows that still cleared the display floors.
Brakes > Brake performance > Service brake performance > Rbt > Service brake performance
Front
67
×5.1
8.6%
Likely
Component mounting prescribed areas (rear)
Suspension > Component mounting prescribed areas
Rear
27
×3.8
3.5%
Possible
Only patterns that clear minimum sample and elevation thresholds are shown
(at least 20 failures and about
2.0× more often than similar cars).
Note: Rates and comparisons are among first-attempt failed tests, not all MOTs. Patterns come from MOT defect codes — not manufacturer service bulletins, recalls, or a diagnosis of any individual car. Failures and advisories are listed separately.
Advisories
Notes recorded at the test that appear more often than on similar cars.
Advisory notes recorded on failed first-attempt tests that appear more often than on similar cars.
Advisory pattern
Location
Notes
vs similar cars
Share
Confidence
Linkage ball joints (rear)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage ball joints
Rear
34
×16
4.4%
Elevated
Service brake performance (rear)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service brake performance > Rbt > Service brake performance
Rear
53
×2.9
6.8%
Elevated
Service brake performance (front)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service brake performance > Rbt > Service brake performance
Front
40
×2.9
5.2%
Likely
Sub-frame (rear)
Suspension > Sub-frames > Sub-frame
Rear
82
×2.8
10.6%
Elevated
Sub-frame (front)
Suspension > Sub-frames > Sub-frame
Front
56
×2.0
7.2%
Elevated
Note: Advisories are not a fail rate — they flag issues noted at the test, often before they become failures.
If you are buying one
What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.
Nothing separates this year from the MX-5 either side of it, so buy on the individual car. The checks below are the items that actually failed 2011 MX-5, commonest first.
Other MX-5 years worth knowing about
Newer cars always pass more often, so a plain "best year" list would just
rank by age. These are the years that beat or miss the trend their own
neighbouring years set — the only age-adjusted signal this data supports.
The items that failed 2011 MX-5 most
often, as a share of the year's failed first attempts. This is what goes
wrong, not what is unusual — the table further up the page covers that.
Coil spring (front) — recorded on 13.9% of failed first attempts
Position lamp (front) — recorded on 9.2% of failed first attempts
Service brake performance (front) — recorded on 8.6% of failed first attempts
Headlamp aim — recorded on 7.4% of failed first attempts
Tyres — Condition (rear) — recorded on 6.7% of failed first attempts
Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this
model line. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a
pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.
FAQs
Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.
Coil spring (front) was the most common reason a 2011 MX-5 failed its MOT — 13.9% of its failed first attempts. In 2025, 76.0% of 3,235 first MOTs on the 2011 Mazda MX-5 passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 80.8%. Among 775 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Linkage ball joint dust cover (rear) appears more often…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2011 Mazda MX-5s most often at the first attempt were Coil spring (front) (13.9%), Position lamp (front) (9.2%) and Service brake performance (front) (8.6%) — each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong on the car. It is a different question from which patterns are unusual for the class, which the common-faults ta…
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Linkage ball joint dust cover (rear) (3.9% of those tests; 30 observed failures; about 55× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Linkage ball joint dust cover (rear) shows up more often than on similar cars (3.9% of those tests; 30 observed failures; about 55× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault — age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase check point, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2011 Mazda MX-5 include Linkage ball joint dust cover (rear), Service brake performance (front), Component mounting prescribed areas (rear). These patterns show up more often than on similar cars after we filter out sparse noise — not a full list of every possible fault on an individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2011 Mazda MX-5 (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics — not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.
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.
20242025
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.
We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks when those data marts are missing.