What year Mazda 626 is most reliable?

Based on MOT first-test pass rates, the 2002 Mazda 626 has the highest pass rate at 74.5%, out of 1,791 vehicles tested.

What are the most common Mazda 626 MOT failures?

The most common Mazda 626 MOT failures vary by year. Check the individual year pages for detailed defect breakdowns — links in the table above.

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Mazda 626 — Reliability by Year

41,681 vehicles · MOT data 1986–2002 · first-test pass rates

This page shows MOT first-test pass rates for each year the Mazda 626 was manufactured — click any year to explore that cohort in detail. Trying to decide which year to buy? See the full buying guide →

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Best pass rate year

2002

74.5% pass rate · 1,791 vehicles

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Lowest pass rate year

1993

61.1% pass rate · 2,401 vehicles

Year	Pass rate	Avg mileage	Vehicles
2002	74.5%	75,818 mi	1,791
2001	72.2%	79,797 mi	2,697
2000	70.7%	88,615 mi	3,702
1999	69.9%	91,682 mi	4,858
1998	69.4%	97,394 mi	6,327
1997	68.3%	102,657 mi	4,940
1996	66.1%	103,734 mi	3,356
1995	65.3%	112,676 mi	2,147
1994	62.8%	113,180 mi	2,430
1993	61.1%	119,323 mi	2,401
1992	62.6%	119,881 mi	2,182
1991	64.6%	110,172 mi	1,289
1990	63.6%	110,754 mi	1,310
1989	65.0%	111,450 mi	1,252
1988	64.8%	113,280 mi	673
1987	63.3%	96,027 mi	212
1986	63.6%	96,328 mi	114

Which year Mazda 626 is most reliable?

MOT pass rate by year of manufacture — averaged across each vehicle's lifetime of tests.

Tests range from an average of 75,818 miles (newest year) to 119,881 miles (oldest year). Older years naturally accumulate more tests at higher mileages — see the mileage-normalised breakdown →

Trying to decide which year to buy?

We've done the full analysis — which years to look for, which to avoid, and where to find the best value for reliability on a Mazda 626.

See the buying guide →

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