Does the Mazda 2 fail the MOT on seat belts and airbags more than it should?
The Mazda 2 records 1.43 seat belts and airbags failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 0.91 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+0.52, 95% interval +0.49 to +0.55). It ranks 146 of 627 models on seat belts and airbags (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on seat belts and airbags · check a Mazda 2 by registration
What exactly fails on seat belts and airbags?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Mazda 2 is “Seat belt retractor not functioning as intended”, recorded 5,168 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Seat belt retractor not functioning as intended | 5,168 | 0.71 |
| Seat belt not functioning as intended or of an incorrect type | 2,389 | 0.33 |
| The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 1,357 | 0.19 |
| An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction | 564 | 0.08 |
| Seat belt buckle missing, damaged or not functioning as intended | 539 | 0.07 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 727,585 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Mazda 2 gets a seat belts and airbags advisory, how often does it fail next time?
3.8% of Mazda 2 MOTs with a seat belts and airbags advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 5,090 miles later (1,705 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,705 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
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