Does the Mazda E Series fail the MOT on seat belts and airbags more than it should?
The Mazda E Series records 4.86 seat belts and airbags failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 2.69 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+2.17, 95% interval +1.58 to +2.77). It ranks 51 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 E Series by registration
What exactly fails on seat belts and airbags?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Mazda E Series is “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”, recorded 177 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 177 | 3.34 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 5,304 (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
Other pages for this model
Mazda E Series by postcode area · Mazda E Series body, chassis and structure failures · Mazda E Series brakes failures · Mazda E Series lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Mazda E Series noise, emissions and leaks failures · Mazda E Series steering failures · Mazda E Series suspension failures · Mazda E Series tyres failures · Mazda E Series visibility failures