2012 Mazda 5 — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 5,279 MOT tests, the 2012 Mazda 5 recorded a 75.7% pass rate. That is 1.6 percentage points worse than MPVs of a similar age, which fail at 22.7%. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
Suspension dominates the failure mix at 13.4% of all tests — 5.0 points clear of lighting & signalling, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are ball joint, pins and bushes and linkage ball joints — ball joint alone was recorded 271 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 11.5% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 31.2% once past 150k — 2.7× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 23.8% of the time against 24.9% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 38.8% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 20.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 27.2% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 13.4% | 707 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 8.3% | 441 |
| 3 | Tyres | 6.9% | 365 |
| 4 | Brakes | 5.4% | 287 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.5% | 237 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 4.2% | 222 |
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 | 271 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 268 |
| 3 | Linkage ball joints | 230 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 215 |
| 5 | Wipers | 182 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 178 |
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 | 38.8% | 2,048 |
| 2 | Tyres | 30.4% | 1,604 |
| 3 | Brakes | 24.7% | 1,302 |
| 4 | Other defects | 11.3% | 598 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 10.5% | 554 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 7.0% | 368 |
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 | 52 | 11.5% |
| 30-60k | 664 | 16.3% |
| 60-90k | 1,944 | 23.1% |
| 90-120k | 1,698 | 26.6% |
| 120-150k | 670 | 28.4% |
| 150k+ | 250 | 31.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 2,912 | 23.8% |
| Diesel | 2,365 | 24.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,072 | 20.3% |
| 2022 | 1,096 | 23.0% |
| 2023 | 1,090 | 25.3% |
| 2024 | 1,035 | 25.9% |
| 2025 | 986 | 27.2% |
What to check before buying a 2012 5
On a 2012 5, suspension is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 13.4% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Suspension (13.4% 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 (8.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (6.9% 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 2012 Mazda 5s pass their MOT?
75.7% of the 5,279 2012 Mazda 5 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 24.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2012 Mazda 5?
Suspension, recorded in 13.4% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (8.3%).
Does the 2012 5 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 11.5% in the 0-30k band to 31.2% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 5,279 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.