Know Your MOT
30.7%fail rate

Mazda B2500 common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Mazda B2500 fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 1,657 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 30.7% of MOT tests recorded on the Mazda B2500 in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is lamps & electrical, which makes up 37.5% of the Mazda B2500's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, suspension, brakes, exhaust & emissions. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Lamps & electrical37.5% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Suspension27.3% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Brakes25.1% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Exhaust & emissions14.1% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

Visibility/wipers13.8% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Other12.0% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

Failure rate by year

How the MOT failure rate varies by the car's year of first registration (older examples generally fail more as wear sets in).

199834.6% fail · 107 tests
200033.3% fail · 105 tests
200128.6% fail · 105 tests
200227.4% fail · 146 tests
200334.9% fail · 126 tests
200428.8% fail · 160 tests
200529.0% fail · 124 tests

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the lamps & electrical failure: Mazda B2500 headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Mazda B2500 headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Mazda B2500 headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Mazda B2500 suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Mazda B2500 suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Mazda B2500 suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Mazda B2500 brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Mazda B2500 brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Mazda B2500 brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Mazda B2500 exhaustSearch Amazon for Mazda B2500 exhaustaffiliate searchFind Mazda B2500 exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Mazda B2500 wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Mazda B2500 wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Mazda B2500 wiper blades on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Mazda Mx-5 MOT failures23.4% failure rateMazda 3 MOT failures22.4% failure rateMazda 2 MOT failures21.4% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data · DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain