What is the MOT pass rate for a 2006 Mazda Rx-8?

71.3% of 2006 Mazda Rx-8s pass the MOT first time, based on 557 DVSA tests. The Mazda Rx-8 averages 71.8% across all model years.

Is a 2006 Mazda Rx-8 a good buy?

On MOT data alone the 2006 Mazda Rx-8 passes 0.5 points less often than the model average of 71.8%. Average mileage at test is 66,477 miles.

2006 Mazda Rx-8: MOT pass rate and reliability

71.3% of 2006 Mazda Rx-8s pass the MOT first time, measured across 557 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 66,477 miles.

How the 2006 compares

Against all Mazda Rx-8s (71.8%, 2,924 tests): -0.5 points
Against all 2006 cars (64.1%): +7.2 points
National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%

Every Mazda Rx-8 model year

Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2006 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Mazda Rx-8:

Year	Pass rate	Tests	Avg mileage
2004	69.7%	492	66,460
2005	68.4%	380	66,367
2006	71.3%	557	66,477
2007	72.8%	610	65,426
2008	69.8%	397	66,641
2009	75%	280	66,101

What this means if you are buying a 2006 Rx-8

The 2006 sits close to the Mazda Rx-8 average, so there is no strong model-year signal either way. Judge the individual car on its own history. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.

What a 20-year-old car fails on

A 2006 car is 20 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:

Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested

That is a shade above the middle of the range, still ordinary wear rather than a red flag, but worth checking against the service book for the car's age. On a 2006 Mazda Rx-8 the average at test was 66,477 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.

The strongest year for this model is 2009 at 75%, and the weakest in our data is 2005 at 68.4%. That 6.6 point spread across the model's life is why comparing a 2006 car against a newer one tells you very little.

Nearby model years

All Mazda Rx-8 MOT data · Every model