2005 Mazda 6 MOT pass rate: 57.5% (2,422 tests)

2005-registered Mazda 6s passed 57.5% of 2,422 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 6.9 points worse than same-age cars (64.5%). This is one of the lower-scoring 6 years after correcting for vehicle age — inspect the individual car carefully.

57.5%Pass rate, 2005 cars

93.1Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

2,422Tests analysed

96,553 miMedian mileage at test

57.6% / 55.0%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2005 6 getting worse?

Pass rate of 2005-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	56.6% -7.5 vs same-age
2024	57.7% -6.6 vs same-age
2025	59.0% -6.3 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 2005 6

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	1,098	28.1%
2	Brakes	748	19.2%
3	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	746	19.1%
4	Body, chassis, structure	478	12.2%
5	Tyres	212	5.4%
6	Noise, emissions and leaks	197	5.0%

All 6 years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2005 (this page)	2,422	57.5%	-6.9 pts	96,553
2006	3,940	62.7%	-1.7 pts	101,492
2007	6,883	61.8%	-3.4 pts	106,786
2008	9,954	63.2%	-2.0 pts	120,672
2009	11,434	67.0%	+0.5 pts	118,712
2010	14,983	66.6%	-0.8 pts	116,773
2011	11,719	67.0%	-2.2 pts	111,026
2012	8,448	69.3%	-1.9 pts	100,350
2013	12,210	72.5%	-0.9 pts	99,892
2014	18,246	75.1%	-0.8 pts	94,170
2015	19,564	77.7%	-1.1 pts	85,267
2016	20,382	79.9%	-1.4 pts	74,178
2017	13,943	83.6%	-0.5 pts	63,275
2018	9,599	87.0%	+0.7 pts	50,638
2019	13,106	90.4%	+2.0 pts	39,402
2020	3,101	93.1%	+3.2 pts	27,779

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Mazda 6 years to avoid.

Buying a 2005 6? 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 2005 Mazda 6 reliable?

2005-registered examples passed 57.5% of their MOT tests (2,422 tests, 2023–2025), -6.9 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 21 years old with a median 96,553 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2005 6?

The median tested example shows 96,553 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.

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.