Is the Mazda 6 reliable?

The Mazda 6 has an average MOT pass rate of 76% across 20 years, based on 110,632 tests in 2024. That's 6 points below the national average of 82%. The most reliable year is 2020 with a 94% pass rate.

Which year Mazda 6 is best?

The 2020 Mazda 6 has the highest MOT pass rate at 94%, while the 2002 model has the lowest at 54%. There's a 40 percentage point spread between the best and worst years.

Mazda 6 Running Costs, MOT Pass Rates & Reliability

Mazda 6

Reliability, running costs, and MOT data across 20 years from 110,632 real MOT tests.

Avg Pass Rate

76%

Total Tests

110,632

Best Year

2020 (94%)

Years Covered

How reliable is the Mazda 6?

vs national average-6% (82% avg)

vs Mazda brand average-5% (81% avg)

Best to worst year spread40 percentage points

Reliability trendImproving over years

Mazda 6 by Year

Year	Pass Rate	Tests	Avg Mileage
2021	93%	118	26,540 mi
2020	94%	1,786	31,783 mi
2019	91%	7,381	44,030 mi
2018	89%	5,151	55,840 mi
2017	87%	7,764	68,812 mi
2016	84%	11,771	78,854 mi
2015	82%	11,898	88,374 mi
2014	80%	11,144	97,838 mi
2013	80%	7,682	103,079 mi
2012	75%	5,149	103,925 mi
2011	74%	7,535	117,021 mi
2010	73%	9,673	121,783 mi
2009	73%	7,396	124,353 mi
2008	71%	6,498	124,138 mi
2007	68%	4,401	109,611 mi
2006	69%	2,430	105,119 mi
2005	64%	1,596	100,805 mi
2004	62%	763	99,968 mi
2003	63%	356	98,803 mi
2002	54%	140	98,087 mi

Checking a specific Mazda 6?

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About the Mazda 6

The Mazda 6 has been tested 110,632 times in 2024 MOT data across 20 model years (2002 to 2021), with an average pass rate of 76%. That's 6 points below the national average of 82%, so check the year-by-year data carefully before buying. Available as petrol and diesel.

Best and Worst Years

The 2020 model is the most reliable with a 94% pass rate from 1,786 tests. The 2002 model has the lowest at 54%. With a 40 point spread, choosing the right year makes a big difference to reliability.

Reliability Trend

Newer MAZDA 6s show better MOT pass rates than older ones, with an average improvement of 18 percentage points.

Mileage Across Years

The oldest model in our data (2002) averages 98,087 miles, while the newest (2021) averages 26,540 miles.

Compared to the Mazda brand average of 81%, the 6 is 5 points lower, placing it among the less reliable Mazda models.

Click any year in the table above to see detailed running costs, individual reliability data, and comparisons with similar cars.