Mazda Rx 7 MOT pass rate & common failures
3,254 MOT tests on the Mazda Rx 7 (1980–2022) give it an 88.3% pass rate. Against all cars of a similar age (23.5% fail rate), the Rx 7 comes out 11.8pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, emissions & environmental and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 8.9% of all tests — 3.4 points clear of emissions & environmental, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are catalyst emissions, headlamp aim and rear fog lamp — catalyst emissions alone was recorded 227 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 10.8% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 17.1% once past 150k.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 15.2% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 12.3% in 2021 to 9.6% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Rx 7 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 37 | 81.1% | 18.9% | Brakes |
| 1984 | 89 | 86.5% | 13.5% | Emissions & environmental |
| 1985 | 103 | 79.6% | 20.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1986 | 74 | 83.8% | 16.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1988 | 35 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1989 | 119 | 89.1% | 10.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 177 | 79.7% | 20.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 60 | 85.0% | 15.0% | Brakes |
| 1992 | 184 | 88.6% | 11.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 148 | 87.8% | 12.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 90 | 88.9% | 11.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 119 | 89.1% | 10.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 71 | 93.0% | 7.0% | Emissions & environmental |
| 1997 | 68 | 92.7% | 7.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 111 | 91.9% | 8.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 166 | 86.1% | 13.9% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2000 | 50 | 84.0% | 16.0% | Brakes |
| 2001 | 72 | 97.2% | 2.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 82 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2003 | 234 | 93.2% | 6.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 218 | 87.6% | 12.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 185 | 87.6% | 12.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 111 | 87.4% | 12.6% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2007 | 136 | 92.7% | 7.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 57 | 96.5% | 3.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 47 | 85.1% | 14.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 31 | 96.8% | 3.2% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2015 | 48 | 93.8% | 6.3% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2017 | 66 | 92.4% | 7.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 45 | 95.6% | 4.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 34 | 94.1% | 5.9% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 8.9% | 290 |
| 2 | Emissions & environmental | 5.5% | 179 |
| 3 | Brakes | 3.5% | 113 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.7% | 89 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.6% | 84 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.6% | 52 |
| 7 | Other defects | 1.3% | 43 |
| 8 | Tyres | 1.0% | 33 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalyst emissions | 227 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 125 |
| 3 | Rear fog lamp | 88 |
| 4 | Non catalyst emissions | 70 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 67 |
| 6 | Service brake performance | 65 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 64 |
| 8 | Washers | 56 |
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 | 15.2% | 495 |
| 2 | Brakes | 13.7% | 446 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 8.4% | 273 |
| 4 | Tyres | 8.4% | 272 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.3% | 238 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 3.9% | 128 |
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 | 278 | 10.8% |
| 30-60k | 732 | 9.2% |
| 60-90k | 1,113 | 11.3% |
| 90-120k | 629 | 12.2% |
| 120-150k | 269 | 16.4% |
| 150k+ | 111 | 17.1% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 700 | 12.3% |
| 2022 | 695 | 13.8% |
| 2023 | 674 | 11.6% |
| 2024 | 610 | 10.7% |
| 2025 | 575 | 9.6% |
What to check before buying a Mazda Rx 7
- Lighting & signalling (8.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Emissions & environmental (5.5% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
- Brakes (3.5% 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
What is the MOT pass rate for the Mazda Rx 7?
88.3% of the 3,254 Mazda Rx 7 MOT tests in this dataset passed, an 11.7% fail rate, across model years 1980–2022.
What does the Mazda Rx 7 most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 8.9% of tests, then emissions & environmental (5.5%).
How much does mileage affect Rx 7 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 10.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 17.1% for 150k+, a 6.3-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 3,254 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.