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What to check: Mazda MX-5

BBy age

DBy miles

Ranked across all years of the Mazda MX-5, from its own MOT record and from what owners report. Tick it off at the car.

From this model's MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Bushes and ball jointsDrive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 7.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 5.9%

Brake pipes underneathRuns high on this modelFollow the metal brake lines with a torch where they run along the sills and over the rear axle. White crust or flaking metal means they are corroding, and the online MOT history usually shows the same advisory creeping up for years before the fail.Recorded on 3.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.9%

A binding brakeRuns high on this modelAfter the test drive, hold the back of your hand near each wheel hub. One wheel running much hotter than the rest is a sticking caliper. A car that slows itself down when you lift off on a flat road is saying the same thing.Recorded on 2.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.7%

WheelsRuns high on this modelLook at each rim for kerb damage and check no wheel nuts are missing. A steering wheel that shimmies between 50 and 60 on the test drive often turns out to be a buckled or badly balanced wheel.Recorded on 1.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%

Lights and horn walkroundWith a helper, run every light: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights including the high-level one, reverse, fog, and the horn. On newer cars a dead LED section can mean replacing the whole lamp unit rather than a bulb.Recorded on 1.7% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.2%

Underneath, with a torchGet down and look at the sills, the subframes and the rear suspension mounting points. Flaking scale and bubbling matter; light surface rust does not. On older cars this is the one check that finds the fault that scraps them.Recorded on 0.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller's upkeep rather than the model.

Tyres, all fourRuns high on this modelCheck the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 17.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 11.1%

Pads and discsRuns high on this modelLook through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 17.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 10.1%

Windscreen and wipersScan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 2.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.7%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the owner reports rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Check inside the rear wheel arches, sills and around the front subframe mounts for filler or fresh underseal.Bubbling paint or crusty patches under the trim means the sills are already rotting.

Ask for proof of a timing belt and water pump change on any NA or NB, with a date, not just a mileage figure.No paperwork, or a belt older than 5 years/60,000 miles, is a real risk of a snapped belt wrecking the engine.

On an NB, let it idle for a while then try a restart once it's fully warm.A car that dies and won't restart until it cools is the classic crank sensor fault.

Rev the engine under some load and listen to how evenly it pulls.Missing or stumbling, especially on a 1.8, points at a failing coil pack.

Drop the roof and look closely at the fabric fold lines and the rear screen.Cracking fabric or a cloudy, brittle plastic screen means a roof replacement is coming.

Pull away from a stop and pay attention to how the clutch pedal feels.Judder, or a pedal that feels spongy or sinks towards the floor, is clutch or slave cylinder wear.

On an ND, check the carpet near the driver-side hood hinge after rain or a hose test.Damp carpet there is the known hinge leak point, and it's not something an MOT catches.

Full Mazda MX-5 reliability report