2014 Mazda CX-5 2.2L Diesel · AY63 XEZ

The 2014 Mazda CX-5 currently holds a valid MOT pass dated 29 May 2026 at 94,900 miles, but the maintenance trend is concerning rather than reassuring. That same day the vehicle first failed with excessive play in both front track rod end ball joints and rear brake pads wearing thin, indicating the tester flagged active steering and braking defects only hours before issuing a pass. The rear lower suspension arms were noted as corroded but not seriously weakened, and the rear subframe was slightly corroded, suggesting the structural repairs or replacements carried out between the two May 2026 tests addressed the steering and brake issues without fully resolving the underlying corrosion pattern. A vehicle that requires a retest on the same day raises questions about whether the repairs were thorough or merely sufficient to scrape through. The mileage progression tells a fairly consistent story. Between the January 2025 test at 84,874 miles and the May 2026 test at 94,900 miles, the vehicle covered roughly 10,000 miles in seventeen months, which is slightly below the 7,900 miles per year average calculated over its twelve-year life. There are no dramatic gaps or sudden spikes in the record that would suggest long periods of disuse or unusually heavy use. The annual test intervals are broadly regular, with the January and June 2025 entries sitting close together, likely reflecting the failed and retest cycle around the broken offside rear coil spring. The recurring theme across this vehicle's history is corrosion affecting the rear suspension and underbody. In January 2025 both rear suspension arms and both coil spring mountings were flagged as corroded, and the tester noted the underbody was corroded throughout. By May 2026 the rear lower arms and rear subframe were still presenting corrosion advisories. A prospective buyer should have the rear subframe, suspension arm mounting points, and coil spring seats inspected on a ramp, paying close attention to whether the corrosion noted in 2025 has progressed or been cosmetically treated. The fractured offside rear coil spring from the January 2025 failure appears to have been replaced, but the condition of the replacement spring and its mounting should be verified. The front track rod ends that caused the May 2026 failure were evidently addressed before the pass, so checking for uneven tyre wear and any looseness in the steering would confirm the quality of that repair. Given the diesel particulate filter smoke issue recorded in January 2025, a thorough exhaust smoke test under load would also be prudent to establish whether that fault was genuinely resolved or simply not present on a subsequent cold test.