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1989 Mazda 121 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1989 perform at MOT as they age

37 years
Current Age
37.8%
Latest Pass Rate
332
Total Tests (All Years)
77,333 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1989 Mazda 121 as it ages.

20 yrs46.0%
21 yrs53.8%
22 yrs56.7%
23 yrs36.4%
24 yrs37.8%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 20 to 24 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
20 yrs46.0%113
21 yrs53.8%78
22 yrs56.7%60
23 yrs36.4%44
24 yrs37.8%37

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1989 Mazda 121 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows declining over 5 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2013 (24 yrs)37.8%37
2012 (23 yrs)36.4%44
2011 (22 yrs)56.7%60
2010 (21 yrs)53.8%78
2009 (20 yrs)46%113

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
46.0%
Age (yrs) 20Tests 113Avg Mileage 80,399Top Failure Suspension — 33.6%
2010High Fail Rate
53.8%
Age (yrs) 21Tests 78Avg Mileage 76,290Top Failure Brakes — 29.5%
2011High Fail Rate
56.7%
Age (yrs) 22Tests 60Avg Mileage 74,156Top Failure Brakes — 25.0%
2012High Fail Rate
36.4%
Age (yrs) 23Tests 44Avg Mileage 79,130Top Failure Suspension — 36.4%
2013High Fail Rate
37.8%
Age (yrs) 24Tests 37Avg Mileage 77,333Top Failure Brakes — 118.9%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1989 Mazda 121, with age trends.

Brakes
47.2%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
45.2%
↑ Increases with age
Driver's View of the Road
24.6%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
20.4%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
20.4%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes31.0% (20 yrs)118.9% (24 yrs)
+87.9%
🔴 ↑
Suspension33.6% (20 yrs)108.1% (24 yrs)
+74.5%
🔴 ↑
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions18.6% (20 yrs)32.4% (24 yrs)
+13.8%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment21.2% (20 yrs)24.3% (24 yrs)
+3.1%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Mazda 121 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Mazda 121 cars manufactured in 1989 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2013, covering 332 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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