Does the Mazda 2 fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Mazda 2 records 4.05 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 2.66 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+1.39, 95% interval +1.34 to +1.44). It ranks 141 of 640 models on steering (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on steering · check a Mazda 2 by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Mazda 2 is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 22,195 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 22,195 | 3.05 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 2,743 | 0.38 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 1,525 | 0.21 |
| A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment | 841 | 0.12 |
| Free play in the steering, measured at the rim of the steering wheel is excessive | 507 | 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 steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
16.5% of Mazda 2 MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 5,343 miles later (20,893 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 20,893 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
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