2008 Mazda 2 MOT pass rate: 60.2% (23,030 tests)

2008-registered Mazda 2s passed 60.2% of 23,030 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 4.9 points worse than same-age cars (65.1%). This is one of the lower-scoring 2 years after correcting for vehicle age — inspect the individual car carefully.

60.2%Pass rate, 2008 cars

95.1Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

23,030Tests analysed

93,613 miMedian mileage at test

60.5% / 56.0%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2008 2 getting worse?

Pass rate of 2008-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	61.0% -4.4 vs same-age
2024	59.9% -5.0 vs same-age
2025	59.6% -5.6 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2008 2

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	7,859	27.0%
2	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	7,747	26.6%
3	Brakes	2,987	10.3%
4	Tyres	2,613	9.0%
5	Steering	2,257	7.8%
6	Visibility	2,043	7.0%

All 2 years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2004	2,542	67.2%	+2.9 pts	81,798
2005	3,209	65.0%	+0.5 pts	80,247
2006	3,689	67.1%	+2.6 pts	76,588
2007	7,958	65.8%	+0.6 pts	84,860
2008 (this page)	23,030	60.2%	-4.9 pts	93,613
2009	35,679	62.8%	-3.6 pts	87,646
2010	36,356	63.7%	-3.6 pts	82,916
2011	31,217	66.6%	-2.6 pts	73,137
2012	26,147	69.2%	-2.0 pts	66,739
2013	25,301	70.7%	-2.6 pts	63,830
2014	24,935	74.6%	-1.2 pts	56,049
2015	29,446	81.7%	+3.0 pts	53,190
2016	29,879	83.9%	+2.6 pts	47,243
2017	22,713	87.8%	+3.8 pts	38,934
2018	23,882	90.3%	+4.0 pts	32,064
2019	24,068	92.4%	+4.0 pts	25,023

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Mazda 2 years to avoid.

Buying a 2008 2? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2008 Mazda 2 reliable?

2008-registered examples passed 60.2% of their MOT tests (23,030 tests, 2023–2025), -4.9 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 18 years old with a median 93,613 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2008 2?

The median tested example shows 93,613 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Should I buy the petrol or diesel 2008 2?

In this cohort petrols pass 60.5% of tests against 56.0% for diesels. Mileage and use can explain part of that gap, so treat it as a reason to inspect DPF and emissions history, not a fuel-type verdict.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.