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Mazda 2 exhaust, emissions and leaks problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 45,716 MOT tests · Updated

At 13 years, 2.9 in 100 MOT tests of the Mazda 2 failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 4.3 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 45,716 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: fails less often than all class 4 vehicles the same age (0.6–0.7×) (all test years), 1,331 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 19 ages from 3 to 21 years, 509,644 MOT tests
  • Most common fail: Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction, 1.6 per 100 MOT tests

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

2.9 fails per 100 MOT tests at 13 years, against 4.3 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 13 (all test years). The Mazda 2 fails less often here.

Why it matters

An exhaust, emissions and leaks fail stops the car passing until it is fixed; the most common one is rated major by DVSA.

What to check

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

Mazda 2 exhaust, emissions and leaks fails by age

Mazda 2 exhaust, emissions and leaks fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Mazda 2. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.053 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 21,809 MOT tests34 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 0.7), 24,468 MOT tests5 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 1.0), 28,486 MOT tests56 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 1.3), 34,491 MOT tests7 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 1.7), 35,998 MOT tests78 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 36,306 MOT tests9 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 2.4), 37,296 MOT tests910 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 36,199 MOT tests11 years: 1.6 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 37,032 MOT tests1112 years: 2.2 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 41,502 MOT tests13 years: 2.9 per 100 (all cars 4.3), 45,716 MOT tests1314 years: 3.9 per 100 (all cars 5.1), 44,992 MOT tests15 years: 4.5 per 100 (all cars 5.7), 35,817 MOT tests1516 years: 5.2 per 100 (all cars 6.2), 23,714 MOT tests17 years: 6.6 per 100 (all cars 6.5), 12,663 MOT tests1718 years: 5.7 per 100 (all cars 6.8), 6,123 MOT tests19 years: 6.5 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 3,777 MOT tests1920 years: 6.7 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 2,214 MOT tests21 years: 7.5 per 100 (all cars 7.1), 1,041 MOT tests21
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Mazda 2 All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
321,8090.10.5
424,4680.10.7
528,4860.11.0
634,4910.21.3
735,9980.31.7
836,3060.42.1
937,2960.62.4
1036,1990.92.8
1137,0321.63.2
1241,5022.23.7
1345,7162.94.3
1444,9923.95.1
1535,8174.55.7
1623,7145.26.2
1712,6636.66.5
186,1235.76.8
19*3,7776.57.0
20*2,2146.77.0
21*1,0417.57.1

All first-use years of the Mazda 2 pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years. * Only survivors are still tested at this age.

What fails in the exhaust, emissions and leaks at 13 years

Fails

Advisories (not fails)

Diagnose engine warning light cost

Repair figures are estimates, not quotes: how we estimate repair costs.

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  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
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See a sample report

By engine and fuel

  • 1.5 petrol: 3.1 per 100 at 13 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 7,967 MOT tests)
  • 1.3 petrol: 2.7 per 100 at 13 years, fails less often than petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (0.6× (0.57–0.64×)) (all test years; 34,930 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive.

Check one Mazda 2, not the average

The figures here describe Mazda 2 cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other Mazda 2 problems

Exhaust, emissions and leaks on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Mazda 2 have more exhaust, emissions and leaks problems than other cars?

0.6 to 0.7 times the exhaust, emissions and leaks fail rate of all class 4 vehicles the same age at 13 years (all test years), from 45,716 MOT tests. The interval is clear of 0.8 in the same direction at 7 of the 19 ages seen (ages up to 18 with at least 100 MOT tests with a fail).

How common are Mazda 2 exhaust, emissions and leaks problems?

2.9 in 100 MOT tests at 13 years failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 4.3 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 45,716 MOT tests).

What is the most common Mazda 2 exhaust, emissions and leaks fail?

1.6 in 100 MOT tests at 13 years: Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction (745 MOT tests with it).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 509,644 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
  2. Office for National Statistics, Consumer price inflation, local price quotes (car repair items). ONS price quotes, series 610236. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare