68.1%
Mazda RX-8 pass rate
Used Mazda RX-8 buying guide
In 2025, Mazda RX-8 cars passed 68.1% of 2,554 initial MOT tests, 4.2 points below the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific RX-8? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Mazda RX-8 MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
−4.2
percentage points below average
Ranked on pass rate the RX-8 sits 381st of 575 models in the data. Mazda as a brand averaged 72.7%, so this model runs 4.6 points behind its own brand.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Mazda RX-8 MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the RX-8 compares with similar cars.
RX-8 fuel types
Petrol was the most common fuel among Mazda RX-8 cars tested in 2025. None of the tested examples were diesel.
Where the RX-8 fails its MOT
Where Mazda RX-8 cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (5.4%), malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction (5%) and position lamp not working (3.8%). See every common RX-8 MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Mazda RX-8 that failed, not a claim that every RX-8 has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used RX-8?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
Noise, emissions and leaks
Listen for a blowing exhaust, watch for smoke on start-up and look under the car for oil or fluid leaks. 23.4% of RX-8 failure items.
2
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 19.7% of RX-8 failure items.
3
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting. 17.4% of RX-8 failure items.
4
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. 13.6% of RX-8 failure items.
5
Body, chassis, structure
Look underneath and along the sills for corrosion, and check for damaged or poorly repaired panels. 6.8% of RX-8 failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Mazda RX-8 failures cluster around noise, emissions and leaks and suspension tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact RX-8 you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the Mazda history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used Mazda models
The most-tested Mazda models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the RX-8.
Used Mazda RX-8 FAQs
Is the Mazda RX-8 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 a 68.1% first-time pass rate for the Mazda RX-8 across 2,554 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
What should I check before buying a used Mazda RX-8?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: noise, emissions and leaks, suspension and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a Mazda RX-8'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.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.