Mazda CX-5, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
93,287 Mazda CX-5s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 80.5% of initial MOT tests, 8.2 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific CX-5? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Mazda CX-5 at the MOT
80.5% of 72,746 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the CX-5 193rd of 575 models. Mazda CX-5s aged 3 to 5 years passed 88% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 65%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Mazda CX-5 tests in 2025.
Where CX-5s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Mazda CX-5 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick (8.5%), track rod end ball joint has excessive play (7.5%) and coil spring fractured or broken (7.1%).
The MOT page lists every common CX-5 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The CX-5's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.24.6% of CX-5 failure items
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Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.17.8% of CX-5 failure items
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Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.15% of CX-5 failure items
Mazda CX-5s in the UK
93,287 were licensed at the end of June 2026, the 3rd most of any Mazda. The number licensed has grown 306% since the end of 2015.
- Change since 2015
- +306%from 22,955 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2019half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2019 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 9,267against 10,325 in 2018
- Declared off the road
- 2,1012.2% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Mazda CX-5s since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 15,407 |
| End of 2015 | 22,955 |
| End of 2016 | 30,010 |
| End of 2017 | 37,128 |
| End of 2018 | 46,881 |
| End of 2019 | 56,513 |
| End of 2020 | 61,231 |
| End of 2021 | 66,828 |
| End of 2022 | 73,611 |
| End of 2023 | 81,540 |
| End of 2024 | 86,981 |
| End of 2025 | 94,878 |
| End of June 2026 | 93,287 |
How old they are
Licensed Mazda CX-5s by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9,059 | 9,267 |
| 2024 | 6,648 | 6,907 |
| 2023 | 8,891 | 9,222 |
| 2022 | 6,943 | 7,285 |
| 2021 | 5,443 | 5,576 |
| 2020 | 5,631 | 5,751 |
| 2019 | 10,004 | 10,307 |
| 2018 | 9,894 | 10,325 |
| 2017 | 7,092 | 7,581 |
| 2016 | 6,730 | 7,525 |
| 2015 | 6,492 | 7,744 |
| 2014 | 6,164 | |
| 2013 | 4,500 | |
| 2012 | 1,280 |
6,492 CX-5s first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 84% of the 7,744 first registered that year.
CX-5 engines and fuel
2.2 litre engines made up 52% of Mazda CX-5 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.0 litre at 47%. Petrol accounts for 61% of licensed CX-5s and diesel for 39%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 72,744 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed CX-5s
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 56,764 | 61% |
| Diesel | 36,522 | 39% |
| Gas | 1 | <0.1% |
Mazda CX-5 recalls
8 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Mazda CX-5. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every CX-5 is affected.
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Jan 2022 R/2021/439
Catalytic reduction (SCR) system wiring may become damaged by contamination
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Inspect the SCR harness repair if necessary and fit protector.
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Jan 2022 R/2021/435
Low pressure fuel pump impeller might become deformed
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The impeller in the low-pressure fuel pump may become deformed causing fuel pump failure.
- Remedy
- Replace the low-pressure fuel pump with an improved part.
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Mar 2020 R/2020/058
One or both LED daytime running lamps may flicker flash or fail completely
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Replace sealing gaskets and install gas absorbing sheets on affected units that operate normally. Replace any faulty units.
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Jul 2019 R/2019/187
Soot may accumulate around the intake shutter valve on the inlet side of the engine
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Check clean or replace the intake shutter valve and update software.
-
Sep 2018 R/2018/289
Injector mounting nuts tightening force may be insufficient
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The tightening force of the injector mounting nuts may be insufficient. This could cause combustion gas to leak from the injector and contaminate the engine oil within the cylinder head. This in turn could cause the engine oil strainer to become blocked. This could cause the engine to stall. Engine Pressure Oil Light appears along with the engine malfunction indicator. Possible Engine Stall without Warning
- Remedy
- Vehicles affected will have the engine checked for contamination and repaired / replaced if necessary. The Fuel injectors will also be re-tightened to the appropriate torque.
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Sep 2018 R/2018/288
Fuel injector software does not control the electric current correctly
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The Software controlling the fuel injectors does not control the electric current correctly. This may cause the injector control circuit to short circuit and cause the engine to stall. Results in possible Engine Stall without Warning
- Remedy
- Vehicles affected will have the injector control software re-programmed
-
Sep 2018 R/2018/236
Vacuum pump may wear prematurely
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The vacuum pump may wear prematurely meaning that in some applications where the brake pedal is pressed quickly whilst at low engine speed the servo assistance provided by the vacuum system in decreased. This could cause a momentary decrease in braking performance. Braking assistance available to the driver can be reduced
- Remedy
- Vehicles affected will be fitted with a modified Vacuum pump.
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May 2017 R/2017/163
Tailgate may drop down without warning
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Water may penetrate the tailgate strut cylinder. This may cause corrosion which may affect the strut's attachment.
- Remedy
- Replace both tailgate struts on affected vehicles
CX-5 vs similar cars
Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.
Other Mazda models
The most-tested Mazda models in 2025, against the CX-5's 80.5% MOT pass rate.
Mazda CX-5 FAQs
How many Mazda CX-5s are there in the UK?
93,287 Mazda CX-5s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 2,101 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Mazda CX-5 reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 80.5% first-time pass rate for the Mazda CX-5 across 72,746 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Mazda CX-5 had any recalls?
8 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Mazda CX-5. The most recent was published in January 2022. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Mazda CX-5?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: suspension, brakes and tyres. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Mazda CX-5's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a CX-5?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Mazda history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Mazda VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.