Mazda RX-8 2005: MOT failure rate for its age

36.5% of 2,732 MOT tests of the Mazda RX-8 first registered in 2005 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 106.3 (95% CI 99.7–112.9; 100 = normal for this model at that age): the 2005 build year is no different from other years of the same model at the same age. This is a rough estimate from a smaller sample.

Mazda RX-8 built in 2005 at a glance
Measure	Value	Unit	Compared with	Years	Tests
Failed first time	36.5	%	all ages tested	2019–2024	2732
Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 99.7–112.9)	106.3	index	100 = normal for this model at that age	2019–2024	2732
Rank among this model's 8 build years	8	of 8	1 = fails least for its age	2019–2024	2732
Tested in 2024	380	tests	median 64,161 miles	2024	380

Built 2005 against Mazda RX-8 normal for the age: first-time MOT failure share at each age, age 15: 38.9% vs 35.3%; age 16: 35.8% vs 35.4%; age 17: 35.8% vs 33.8%; age 18: 34.3% vs 33.5%; age 19: 36.8% vs 32.3%. Axis from 0% to 40%. DVSA MOT bulk data, 2019–2024.

Check a 2005 Mazda RX-8 by registration · All Mazda RX-8 MOT statistics · Download the build-year table (CSV)

Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).

How does the 2005 Mazda RX-8 fail at each age?

Cars built in 2005 were tested at ages 15 to 19 between 2019 and 2024. Each row compares their first-time failure share with what this model normally shows at that age, after allowing for the overall failure level of each test year.

Mazda RX-8 built 2005: first-time MOT failure by age, against the model's normal rate at that age (2019–2024)
Age	Tests	Failed, %	95% interval	Normal for this model at that age, %	Index (100 = normal)
15	715	38.9	35.4–42.5	35.3	110.2
16	674	35.8	32.2–39.4	35.4	100.9
17	531	35.8	31.8–39.9	33.8	106
18	432 (rough estimate)	34.3	29.9–38.9	33.5	102.2
19	380 (rough estimate)	36.8	32.1–41.8	32.3	114

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 2,732 (initial tests) · Method: normal rate = this model's first-time failure share at that age across its build years (cells of 400+ tests), adjusted for each test year's overall level; cells of 30+ tests, under 500 marked rough · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

What fails most on the 2005 Mazda RX-8?

The most common failure group on cars built in 2005 is suspension: 29.1 items per 100 first tests, against 23.3 across all build years of the Mazda RX-8. These counts are not age-adjusted: cars built in 2005 were tested at ages 15 to 19.

Failure items per 100 first tests, Mazda RX-8 built 2005 against the Mazda RX-8 in all build years (2019–2024, not age-adjusted)
Failure group	Built 2005, per 100	All build years, per 100	Items
Suspension	29.1	23.3	797
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	26	23.7	712
Noise, emissions and leaks	23.6	20.9	646
Brakes	17.5	15.7	479
Body, chassis, structure	8.8	6.1	240

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 2,740 (initial tests of this build year) · Method: failure items grouped by DVSA's top-level defect groups, per 100 initial tests; groups with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

How does 2005 compare with the years around it?

Among the 8 published build years of the Mazda RX-8, 2005 ranks 8 (1 = fails least for its age). 2004: index 104.8. 2006: index 102.4.

Mazda RX-8 build years: index against the model at the same age (2019–2024)
Build year	Index (100 = normal)	95% interval	Verdict	Tests
2003	104.5	90.2–118.8	no different (rough estimate)	580
2004	104.8	99.0–110.7	no different (rough estimate)	3,439
2005	106.3	99.7–112.9	no different (rough estimate)	2,732
2006	102.4	97.0–107.8	no different (rough estimate)	3,934
2007	100.1	94.8–105.5	no different (rough estimate)	3,939
2008	91.7	85.0–98.3	better (rough estimate)	2,390
2009	79.5	70.8–88.2	better (rough estimate)	1,231
2010	76.2	59.3–93.1	better (rough estimate)	317

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 18,562 (initial tests) · Method: observed failures against those expected for the same model at the same ages, test-year level adjusted; verdict follows the printed one-decimal bound · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

How to cite this page

MOT Risk Index (2026). Mazda RX-8 2005 MOT statistics (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 30 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/mazda-rx-8/2005/

How every figure is calculated: methodology. Age, test year and build year are tied together (age = test year − build year), so the test-year level is taken as observed, not estimated.

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