2011 Mazda 5 — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 5,604 MOT tests, the 2011 Mazda 5 recorded a 73.9% pass rate. Against MPVs of a similar age (24.3% fail rate), the 2011 5 comes out 1.8pp worse. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: suspension, recorded in 14.9% of tests against 9.5% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are ball joint, position lamp and pins and bushes — ball joint alone was recorded 391 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 30-60k one: 27.9% versus 20.3%.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 25.8% of the time against 26.5% for diesel.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 41.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 23.0% of tests failed in 2021 against 27.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 14.9% | 837 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 9.5% | 534 |
| 3 | Brakes | 7.2% | 406 |
| 4 | Tyres | 7.2% | 403 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 4.4% | 248 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.3% | 244 |
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 | 391 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 288 |
| 3 | Pins and bushes | 274 |
| 4 | Linkage ball joints | 208 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 208 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 194 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 41.0% | 2,299 |
| 2 | Tyres | 30.8% | 1,728 |
| 3 | Brakes | 24.7% | 1,384 |
| 4 | Other defects | 12.5% | 699 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 12.4% | 693 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 8.4% | 470 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 30-60k | 582 | 20.3% |
| 60-90k | 1,930 | 25.7% |
| 90-120k | 1,905 | 26.7% |
| 120-150k | 802 | 29.5% |
| 150k+ | 358 | 27.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 3,087 | 25.8% |
| Diesel | 2,517 | 26.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,192 | 23.0% |
| 2022 | 1,204 | 26.8% |
| 2023 | 1,152 | 26.4% |
| 2024 | 1,088 | 27.7% |
| 2025 | 968 | 27.0% |
What to check before buying a 2011 5
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 14.9% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (14.9% 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 (9.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (7.2% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
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 2011 Mazda 5s pass their MOT?
73.9% of the 5,604 2011 Mazda 5 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 26.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2011 Mazda 5?
Suspension, recorded in 14.9% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (9.5%).
Does the 2011 5 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 20.3% in the 30-60k band to 27.9% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 5,604 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.