MOT failures by make
Mazda MOT failures for “Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn”
Mazda cars failed their MOT on “Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn” in 2.71% of 1,069,099 tests in 2023–2024 (28,944 tests) — 1.9 times as often as comparable cars of the same age, mileage and fuel, which would have failed on it in about 1.43% of tests. It is the number 3 most common failure item on Mazdas.
Data to 2024-12-30 · Page updated 2026-09-28 · Publisher: 73 Auto
- Mazda tests failing on it
- 2.71%
- 28,944 of 1,069,099 tests, 2023–2024
- Comparable cars
- 1.43%
- national rate at the same age, mileage and fuel
- Observed ÷ expected
- 1.90×
- 73 Auto analysis · rank #3 for Mazda
How unusual this is for the make
Across all MOT failures, Mazdas fail 4% less often than comparable cars. On this item the gap is 1.98× wider than that overall level, so it is a genuine Mazda pattern rather than a reflection of how often the make fails in general. It is a major defect in the suspension part of the test. Nationally it appears on 1.43% of MOT tests.
Mazda models and “Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn”
The Mazda 2 is most affected (3.34× comparable cars); the Mazda MX-5 least (0.17×). Not every model follows the make: the pattern is concentrated in some models. Model rows compare with cars of the same age and fuel.
| Model | Tests | Failed on it | vs similar cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mazda 2 | 254,455 | 5.26% | 3.34× |
| Mazda 5 | 22,878 | 6.66% | 2.96× |
| Mazda 3 | 218,529 | 4.08% | 2.71× |
| Mazda 6 | 129,324 | 2.10% | 1.31× |
| Mazda CX-5 | 128,119 | 0.91% | 1.17× |
| Mazda Bongo | 21,062 | 1.46% | 0.70× |
| Mazda CX-3 | 50,909 | 0.08% | 0.20× |
| Mazda MX-5 | 188,374 | 0.27% | 0.17× |
By age at test
The difference is largest at 11-12 years old: 6.27% of Mazda tests against 2.37% for comparable cars.
| Age (years) | Mazda tests | Mazda | Comparable cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 128,683 | 0.01% | 0.09% |
| 5-6 | 147,920 | 0.11% | 0.35% |
| 7-8 | 163,548 | 1.02% | 1.10% |
| 9-10 | 122,603 | 4.50% | 1.94% |
| 11-12 | 103,859 | 6.27% | 2.37% |
| 13-15 | 180,441 | 6.33% | 2.53% |
| 16+ | 181,916 | 2.01% | 1.86% |
Other Mazda MOT faults that stand out
- Stop lamp: not working · 0.48× comparable cars
- Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength · 1.97× comparable cars
Limitations
Official data: DVSA's anonymised MOT results (2023–2024), class 4 initial tests, cars at least 2.5 years old. 73 Auto analysis: the comparison rate applies the national rate of this item for each test's own age, mileage band and fuel to the Mazda tests. An MOT result reflects maintenance, mileage and how a car is used as well as its design, so this is not a measure of which make is most reliable. The wording of the defect is DVSA's.
Has this Mazda failed on it before?
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UK number plate or 17-character VIN
Where these figures come from
- Anonymised MOT tests and results (2023 and 2024) — Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). Open Government Licence v3.0.
Figures labelled as 73 Auto estimates are our own analysis of these sources, set out in the methodology and data sources. To report a factual error, see corrections.