Does the Mazda RX-8 fail the MOT on seat belts and airbags more than it should?
The Mazda RX-8 records 3.18 seat belts and airbags failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 2.60 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+0.58, 95% interval +0.33 to +0.83). It ranks 139 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 RX-8 by registration
What exactly fails on seat belts and airbags?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Mazda RX-8 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 459 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 | 459 | 2.36 |
| An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction | 104 | 0.54 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 19,422 (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 RX-8 2003 · Mazda RX-8 2004 · Mazda RX-8 2005 · Mazda RX-8 2006 · Mazda RX-8 2007 · Mazda RX-8 2008 · Mazda RX-8 2009 · Mazda RX-8 2010 · Mazda RX-8 by postcode area · Mazda RX-8 body, chassis and structure failures · Mazda RX-8 brakes failures · Mazda RX-8 vehicle identification failures · Mazda RX-8 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Mazda RX-8 noise, emissions and leaks failures · Mazda RX-8 road wheels failures · Mazda RX-8 steering failures · Mazda RX-8 suspension failures · Mazda RX-8 tyres failures · Mazda RX-8 visibility failures