Mazda Bongo MOT pass rate & common failures
The Mazda Bongo appears in 63,370 MOT tests spanning model years 1986–2025, and 69.0% of them passed. That is 4.9 percentage points worse than MPVs of a similar age, which fail at 26.0%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and body, structure & corrosion.
Best and worst Bongo years
Ranked across Bongo years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 76.7% of 2018 examples pass against 64.7% of 1995 ones.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (19.0%) and suspension (16.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are component mounting prescribed areas, rear fog lamp and integral vehicle structure condition — component mounting prescribed areas alone was recorded 11,114 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 18.6% in the 0-30k band and 35.2% in the 150k+ band, a 16.6-point spread.
The petrol cars hold up better: 27.4% fail against 34.1% for diesel, a 6.7-point gap across 63,308 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 30.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Bongo model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1,805 | 64.7% | 35.3% | Suspension |
| 1996 | 2,303 | 65.4% | 34.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 2,131 | 66.1% | 33.9% | Suspension |
| 1998 | 1,459 | 67.4% | 32.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 2,170 | 71.1% | 28.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 2,158 | 72.7% | 27.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 2,232 | 73.0% | 27.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 2,395 | 75.2% | 24.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 2,029 | 71.1% | 28.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 3,309 | 69.0% | 31.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 4,629 | 68.9% | 31.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 4,309 | 65.9% | 34.1% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 4,538 | 65.2% | 34.8% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 3,640 | 65.5% | 34.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 2,588 | 65.5% | 34.5% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 3,022 | 66.0% | 34.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 2,449 | 65.9% | 34.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 2,071 | 68.5% | 31.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 2,245 | 70.1% | 29.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 2,751 | 70.9% | 29.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 2,550 | 72.6% | 27.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 2,426 | 72.8% | 27.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 1,496 | 75.1% | 24.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 1,014 | 76.7% | 23.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 712 | 77.3% | 22.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 603 | 79.3% | 20.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 286 | 79.0% | 21.0% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 19.0% | 12,040 |
| 2 | Suspension | 16.4% | 10,404 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 10.3% | 6,546 |
| 4 | Brakes | 8.6% | 5,467 |
| 5 | Visibility | 6.7% | 4,258 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 5.7% | 3,621 |
| 7 | Steering | 3.5% | 2,242 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 2.9% | 1,866 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 11,114 |
| 2 | Rear fog lamp | 4,737 |
| 3 | Integral vehicle structure condition | 4,670 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 4,092 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 3,693 |
| 6 | Chassis condition | 3,504 |
| 7 | Wipers | 3,489 |
| 8 | Service brake performance | 3,058 |
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 | 30.1% | 19,070 |
| 2 | Brakes | 26.3% | 16,640 |
| 3 | Tyres | 18.3% | 11,571 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 17.8% | 11,254 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 16.1% | 10,231 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 16.0% | 10,155 |
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 | 215 | 18.6% |
| 30-60k | 2,529 | 17.2% |
| 60-90k | 9,697 | 24.5% |
| 90-120k | 13,958 | 29.8% |
| 120-150k | 13,486 | 32.0% |
| 150k+ | 23,455 | 35.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 33,888 | 34.1% |
| Petrol | 29,420 | 27.4% |
| Gas/LPG | 57 | 36.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13,762 | 30.5% |
| 2022 | 13,266 | 30.5% |
| 2023 | 12,809 | 31.1% |
| 2024 | 12,194 | 31.6% |
| 2025 | 11,339 | 31.1% |
What to check before buying a Mazda Bongo
- Lighting & signalling (19.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (16.4% 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.
- Body, structure & corrosion (10.3% of tests): The one to take seriously on older cars — corrosion to structural areas can be costly and is an MOT failure. Typical repair: £200–£1,500+.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Mazda Bongo?
69.0% of the 63,370 Mazda Bongo MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 30.9% fail rate, across model years 1986–2025.
What does the Mazda Bongo most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 19.0% of tests, then suspension (16.4%).
Which Bongo years are best and worst for MOT results?
2018 has the best pass rate at 76.7% and 1995 the weakest at 64.7%, from 1,014 and 1,805 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Bongo MOT results?
Fail rates run at 18.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 35.2% for 150k+, a 16.6-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Bongo more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 27.4% of the time against 34.1% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 63,370 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.