Know Your MOT
32.8%fail rate

Mazda Friendee common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 5,770 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 32.8% of MOT tests recorded on the Mazda Friendee 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 44.4% of the Mazda Friendee's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, suspension, brakes, visibility/wipers. 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 & electrical44.4% 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.

Suspension42.8% 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.

Brakes17.3% 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.

Visibility/wipers16.9% 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.

Exhaust & emissions16.7% 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.

Body & structure14.8% of failures

Structural failures are corrosion in load-bearing areas, sharp edges, or insecure panels. These are inspection-and-welding jobs rather than a simple bolt-on part, so weigh them against the value of the car.

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).

199733.7% fail · 581 tests
199831.7% fail · 224 tests
199931.6% fail · 171 tests
200029.3% fail · 140 tests
200228.5% fail · 123 tests
200436.3% fail · 226 tests
200532.2% fail · 559 tests
200627.8% fail · 446 tests
200735.8% fail · 385 tests
200834.7% fail · 311 tests
200934.1% fail · 211 tests
201035.6% fail · 317 tests
201133.1% fail · 178 tests
201229.6% fail · 108 tests
201328.9% fail · 114 tests
201423.8% fail · 143 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 Friendee headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Mazda Friendee headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Mazda Friendee headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Mazda Friendee suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Mazda Friendee suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Mazda Friendee suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Mazda Friendee brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Mazda Friendee brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Mazda Friendee brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Mazda Friendee wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Mazda Friendee wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Mazda Friendee wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Mazda Friendee exhaustSearch Amazon for Mazda Friendee exhaustaffiliate searchFind Mazda Friendee exhaust 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