Mazda

Which year Mazda Bongo is most reliable?

Based on 14,640 vehicles (1995–2006) and millions of DVLA MOT records.

📐
Not just "newer is more reliable"
These rankings compare each year at the same mileage point — a 2003 Bongo at 80,000 miles is judged against a 2014 Bongo at 80,000 miles, not its full lifetime average. Verdicts are also relative to this model's own average, not a universal scale. That's the difference between "old cars wear out" and "this year is genuinely more or less reliable."
Years to look for
2005
Above-average pass rate — these years consistently do better than other Bongos
Below model average
1995–1997
Lower pass rate than other Bongos — worth checking the MOT history before buying
See common failures for 1995 →
📊
Dataset
14,640
vehicles · 1995–2006 · millions of MOT records
CarHunch sweet spot — 2000–2003
These years hit the reliability-to-value sweet spot: a 72.1–76.3% pass rate, well above this model's median, but old enough to have depreciated significantly from peak price. If budget matters alongside reliability, start your search here.

Pass rate by year

Year Pass rate Vehicles
2006
76.8%
153
2005
79.6%
321 Recommended
2004
77.4%
442
2003
76.3%
466
2002
75.2%
954
2001
73.5%
1,052
2000
72.1%
1,083
1999
71.0%
1,286
1998
69.2%
1,011
1997
67.8%
2,182 Below avg
1996
67.2%
2,782 Below avg
1995
66.3%
2,908 Below avg

Click any year to see full MOT history, common faults and comparisons for those cars. Verdicts are relative to this model's own average — a good Land Rover year is judged differently from a good Toyota year.

How each year holds up at higher mileage

Each line is a different model year. The mileage ranges are divided into 5 equal groups based on how this model is actually driven in the real world — so you're comparing like-for-like, not arbitrary round numbers.

Only years with enough data across at least 3 mileage ranges are shown. Newer years appear in blue; older years in amber.

How is this measured?

📋

What "pass rate" means

The percentage of all MOT tests that resulted in a pass — counted across a car's whole life, not just its first test. Higher means fewer failures over time.

📐

Mileage groups built from real data

We split this model's real-world mileage history into 5 equal groups — so each slice contains the same number of cars, not an arbitrary round number like "0–30,000 miles."

Does age still matter?

Yes. A low-mileage 20-year-old car has still had 20 years of weather, perishing rubber, and ageing electrics. Comparing at the same mileage narrows the gap between old and new — but doesn't erase it entirely.

🏆

Why this beats surveys

Our figures come from the DVLA's national MOT database — over 50 million real test results from accredited garages, with no opinions involved. Most reliability guides are based on owner surveys with a few hundred responses per model.

What next?
← Back to model overview
Mazda Bongo hub
Year stats, defect patterns, comparisons
Check a specific car
Free MOT history & AI insights
Enter any UK registration

All Mazda models