Mazda Mx-5 years to avoid — 223,562 MOT tests ranked

No clear negative outlier after correcting for age. Strongest in the data: 2010 or 2012. The ranking uses 223,562 MOT tests across 19 registration years (2023–2025) and compares each year with all UK cars of the same age.

Every Mx-5 year, ranked

The age-adjusted MOT index sets 100 as the pass rate of all UK cars registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Higher is better. This prevents an old car being labelled a “bad year” simply because it is old.

RankYearIndexVs same-agePass rateTests
1 2012 Strong 112.2 +12.2 pts 83.4% 9,116
2 2010 Strong 111.1 +11.1 pts 78.4% 13,686
3 2013 111.1 +11.1 pts 84.4% 9,094
4 2011 110.9 +10.9 pts 80.1% 9,996
5 2015 110.5 +10.5 pts 89.2% 8,720
6 2009 110.2 +10.2 pts 76.6% 12,271
7 2014 109.9 +9.9 pts 85.8% 8,356
8 2008 109.0 +9.0 pts 74.1% 15,776
9 2007 108.7 +8.7 pts 73.8% 22,414
10 2017 108.7 +8.7 pts 92.7% 13,412
11 2016 108.5 +8.5 pts 89.8% 12,087
12 2018 106.9 +6.9 pts 93.3% 12,511
13 2019 106.4 +6.4 pts 94.7% 11,826
14 2006 105.5 +5.5 pts 69.9% 18,548
15 2005 104.7 +4.7 pts 69.2% 9,568
16 2002 104.4 +4.4 pts 70.1% 9,244
17 2004 104.2 +4.2 pts 68.6% 9,368
18 2001 104.2 +4.2 pts 70.8% 5,684
19 2003 102.6 +2.6 pts 67.6% 11,885

How to use this before buying

  • Rankings describe the cohort, not the car. A cherished older example beats a neglected 2010 one — always run the specific reg through the free MOT history check.
  • Read the advisories. Repeated notes for the same component across years mean the owner has been ignoring it. Decode them in our advisory library.
  • Scan before you pay. A 2-minute OBD scan reveals stored faults the dashboard hides — see our scanner guide.

FAQs

Which Mx-5 years should I avoid?

No year is a clear negative outlier after correcting for age, so buy on condition and history rather than year.

What is the best Mx-5 year to buy used?

2010 and 2012 lead the age-adjusted MOT ranking. The score compares each registration year with all UK cars of the same age; the specific car's history and condition still take priority.

Is the Mx-5 reliable overall?

Across 223,562 tests, the median age-adjusted index is 108.7 (100 equals the pass rate of all cars registered in the same year). Use the spread between years as one signal, then check the individual registration.

Methodology: index = 100 + the model-year cohort’s MOT pass-rate difference versus all UK vehicles registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded; at least 1,500 tests per page. “Inspect” years are below both the same-age baseline and the model’s median index by at least 2 points. Association is not proof of a model-year defect. DVSA anonymised data 2023–2025, OGL v3.0.