Mazda Mx-5 years to avoid — 223,562 MOT tests ranked
Last updated · OBDCode UK editorial
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.
Scroll horizontally to read every ranking column.
| Rank | Year | Index | Vs same-age | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
What happened next on this model
Year rankings are age-adjusted pass rates. The figures below are a same-vehicle follow-up for certificate lines that appear often enough on this model (at least 200 cars). They are not a repair quote and they do not isolate a turbo, DSG, or clutch part.
- Prescribed areas prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive — 422 cars · 8.5% failed the same item the next year · 21.8% were not tested again
- Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive — 1,007 cars · 8.1% failed the same item the next year · 17.5% were not tested again
- Service brake performance binding but not excessively — 2,965 cars · 6.5% failed the same item the next year · 10.2% were not tested again
- Shock absorbers has light misting of oil — 1,173 cars · 5.9% failed the same item the next year · 9.4% were not tested again
- Exhaust system has a minor leak of exhaust gases — 997 cars · 5.8% failed the same item the next year · 20.7% were not tested again
National rankings for the not-retested gap: cars not tested again. Repair-hold rates: repairs that did not hold.
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.
What data is required before a years-to-avoid guide is published?
We publish a guide only when a model has at least five registration-year cohorts old enough for a routine first MOT, each based on at least 1,500 Class 4 initial MOT tests pooled across the stated DVSA extract years, and at least 60,000 tests across those cohorts. From the models that pass those gates, this release includes the 220 models with the largest pooled samples. Retests are excluded.
How are the Strong and Inspect labels assigned?
Strong considers only the two highest-ranked registration-year cohorts and labels either one that is within 1.5 index points of the best. Inspect considers only the three lowest-ranked cohorts and labels a year only when its index is no higher than 100 and at least 2 points below the model median. Counts are MOT test records, not unique vehicles.
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. Pass rate uses DVSA result codes (P + PRS) ÷ (P + PRS + F): passes and passes after rectification at the test divided by those outcomes plus failures. Class 4 initial-test records only; retests excluded; at least 1,500 records per registration-year cohort. “Strong” considers the top two cohorts within 1.5 index points of the best. “Inspect” considers only the bottom three cohorts, then requires an index no higher than 100 and at least 2 points below the model median. Counts are test records, not unique vehicles. Association is not proof of a model-year defect. Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.