2010 Mazda 2 — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2010 Mazda 2 passed 73.7% of its 83,890 recorded MOT tests. That is 1.2 percentage points worse than superminis of a similar age, which fail at 25.1%. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (15.4%) and lighting & signalling (14.1%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are ball joint, position lamp and headlamp aim — ball joint alone was recorded 7,256 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 13.5% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 33.6% once past 150k — 2.5× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 26.3% fail against 29.5% for diesel, a 3.3-point gap across 83,890 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 28.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 24.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 27.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 15.4% | 12,920 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 14.1% | 11,864 |
| 3 | Tyres | 6.1% | 5,152 |
| 4 | Visibility | 6.1% | 5,125 |
| 5 | Steering | 4.5% | 3,787 |
| 6 | Brakes | 4.4% | 3,678 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball joint | 7,256 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 5,608 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 4,983 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 4,640 |
| 5 | Coil spring | 4,541 |
| 6 | Rigid brake pipes | 3,588 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 28.2% | 23,703 |
| 2 | Suspension | 27.7% | 23,271 |
| 3 | Brakes | 26.5% | 22,185 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 15.2% | 12,729 |
| 5 | Other defects | 14.5% | 12,174 |
| 6 | Steering | 8.7% | 7,263 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 2,821 | 13.5% |
| 30-60k | 18,658 | 20.8% |
| 60-90k | 32,293 | 26.6% |
| 90-120k | 21,499 | 29.9% |
| 120-150k | 6,840 | 32.2% |
| 150k+ | 1,766 | 33.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 82,742 | 26.3% |
| Diesel | 1,148 | 29.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 17,471 | 24.3% |
| 2022 | 17,452 | 25.7% |
| 2023 | 17,084 | 26.4% |
| 2024 | 16,531 | 27.5% |
| 2025 | 15,352 | 27.8% |
What to check before buying a 2010 2
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 15.4% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (15.4% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Lighting & signalling (14.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (6.1% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2010 Mazda 2s pass their MOT?
73.7% of the 83,890 2010 Mazda 2 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 26.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2010 Mazda 2?
Suspension, recorded in 15.4% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (14.1%).
Does the 2010 2 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 13.5% in the 0-30k band to 33.6% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 83,890 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.