MOT performance

Mazda 6 diesel: MOT pass rate and common failures

Of 69,167 MOT tests on diesel Mazda 6s in 2023–2024 (on average 9.1 years old at test, median 94,911 miles), 70.3% passed first time, against 69.5% of 60,154 petrol Mazda 6 tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, diesel Mazda 6s failed 5% less often than comparable cars — 0.95× against 0.93× for the Mazda 6 as a whole.

69,167 MOT tests on 35,836 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto

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At a glance

Mazda 6 diesel MOT results at a glance
Figure	Value	Basis
First-time pass rate	70.3%	±0.3 pts (95%), n = 69,167
All Mazda 6s	69.9%	n = 129,324
Failures vs similar cars	0.95×	same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; Mazda 6 overall 0.93×
Tests with a dangerous defect	10.2%	n = 69,167
Average age at test	9.1 years	n = 69,167
Registration years covered	2002–2021	DVSA first-use date

Diesel against the other Mazda 6 fuels

Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The diesel cars were tested 1.5 years younger on average than the petrol ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.

Mazda 6 MOT results by fuel
Fuel	Tests	Average age	First-time pass	vs similar cars	Dangerous
Diesel	69,167	9.1 yrs	70.3%	-5%	10.2%
Petrol	60,154	10.6 yrs	69.5%	-9%	9.4%

Where diesel Mazda 6s differ

Seat belts and airbags: diesel Mazda 6s failed 42% less often than the Mazda 6 overall, relative to comparable cars (0.57× vs 0.98×).
Noise, emissions and leaks: diesel Mazda 6s failed 37% more often than the Mazda 6 overall, relative to comparable cars (1.08× vs 0.79×).
Body, chassis and structure: diesel Mazda 6s failed 36% less often than the Mazda 6 overall, relative to comparable cars (0.31× vs 0.49×).

Mazda 6 diesel MOT failures by area, against the model overall
Area	Diesel (vs similar)	All Mazda 6s (vs similar)
Brakes	10.0% (+32%)	10.2% (+32%)
Suspension	9.9% (-4%)	10.1% (-6%)
Lights, reflectors and electrical	9.4% (-21%)	10.7% (-19%)
Tyres	6.5% (-13%)	6.1% (-17%)
Driver's view of the road	3.8% (-17%)	4.2% (-17%)
Noise, emissions and leaks	3.4% (+8%)	3.1% (-21%)
Body, chassis and structure	1.1% (-69%)	1.9% (-51%)
Steering	1.0% (-55%)	0.9% (-61%)
Seat belts and airbags	0.6% (-43%)	1.1% (-2%)
Road wheels	0.5% (-2%)	0.5% (-2%)
Registration plates and VIN	0.3% (-21%)	0.3% (-17%)

Most common diesel Mazda 6 failure items

Most common diesel Mazda 6 MOT failure items
Item	Area	Share of tests
Position lamp: not working	Lights, reflectors and electrical	4.16%
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick	Brakes	3.16%
Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements	Brakes	2.94%
Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn	Suspension	2.60%
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm	Tyres	2.33%

Pass rate by age, by fuel

Mazda 6 MOT pass rate by age and fuel
Age at test (years)	diesel pass rate (tests)	petrol pass rate (tests)
3-4	87.2% (3,771)	89.2% (7,425)
5-6	80.7% (9,775)	84.1% (7,325)
7-8	75.8% (18,957)	79.1% (6,992)
9-10	69.9% (15,005)	74.1% (5,238)
11-12	60.3% (10,086)	65.1% (6,161)
13-15	56.3% (10,402)	58.2% (15,165)
16+	51.1% (1,053)	52.6% (10,510)

Mazda 6 by registration year

Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.

2006 Mazda 6 · 53.8%
2007 Mazda 6 · 53.8%
2008 Mazda 6 · 53.5%
2009 Mazda 6 · 59.2%
2010 Mazda 6 · 59.9%
2011 Mazda 6 · 59.6%
2012 Mazda 6 · 63.1%
2013 Mazda 6 · 69.9%
2014 Mazda 6 · 72.5%
2015 Mazda 6 · 75.7%
2016 Mazda 6 · 77.8%
2017 Mazda 6 · 81.7%
2018 Mazda 6 · 84.9%
2019 Mazda 6 · 88.2%
2020 Mazda 6 · 91.1%

What this does and doesn't tell you

Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.

Check a specific diesel Mazda 6

Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.

UK number plate or 17-character VIN

About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.