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BMW vs Mazda Reliability

BMW leads on our inspections: 67/100 average condition vs 63/100 for Mazda, from 566 real pre-purchase inspections. The average car we check scores 61/100.

vs
Head to head
BMWMazda
Cars inspected341225
Average condition67/10063/100
In good shape (60+/100)66%59%
Holds up to (avg dips below decent)~101k mi~115k mi
Repainted or replaced panel71%76%
Structural repair found2%5%
Fault codes recently cleared27%24%

Green = the better number of the pair. Condition reflects the mix of cars that came to us — age, price, model — so treat small gaps as a tie.

How they score
BMW
Excellent 33% Good 33% Mediocre 19% Poor 15%
Mazda
Excellent 28% Good 31% Mediocre 24% Poor 17%
How long do they stay good?
Good cars by mileage
▬ BMW▬ Mazda▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 BMW, 0–20k mi: 97% in good shape (33 cars)BMW, 20–40k mi: 98% in good shape (62 cars)BMW, 40–60k mi: 86% in good shape (57 cars)BMW, 60–80k mi: 59% in good shape (56 cars)BMW, 80–100k mi: 49% in good shape (55 cars)BMW, 100–120k mi: 43% in good shape (35 cars)BMW, 120–140k mi: 19% in good shape (21 cars)BMW, 140–160k mi: 11%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars in this band) Mazda, 0–20k mi: 89%, drawn from the nearby bands (18 cars in this band)Mazda, 20–40k mi: 80% in good shape (20 cars)Mazda, 40–60k mi: 83% in good shape (36 cars)Mazda, 60–80k mi: 63% in good shape (30 cars)Mazda, 80–100k mi: 50% in good shape (36 cars)Mazda, 100–120k mi: 40% in good shape (30 cars)Mazda, 120–140k mi: 32% in good shape (22 cars)Mazda, 140–160k mi: 29%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars in this band)Mazda, 160–180k mi: 35%, drawn from the nearby bands (7 cars in this band)Mazda, 180–200k mi: 23%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars in this band) 40k 80k 120k 160k 200k mileage when we inspected it
Good cars by age
▬ BMW▬ Mazda▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 BMW, 1 years old: 98%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars this age)BMW, 2 years old: 96% in good shape (26 cars)BMW, 3 years old: 98%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars this age)BMW, 4 years old: 100% in good shape (30 cars)BMW, 5 years old: 94% in good shape (32 cars)BMW, 6 years old: 77% in good shape (35 cars)BMW, 7 years old: 58% in good shape (26 cars)BMW, 8 years old: 53% in good shape (30 cars)BMW, 9 years old: 49%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)BMW, 10 years old: 52%, drawn from the nearby bands (18 cars this age)BMW, 11 years old: 43%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)BMW, 12 years old: 34%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)BMW, 13 years old: 18%, drawn from the nearby bands (7 cars this age)BMW, 14 years old: 19%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars this age)BMW, 15 years old: 17%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age) Mazda, 1 years old: 95%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Mazda, 2 years old: 97%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Mazda, 3 years old: 92%, drawn from the nearby bands (16 cars this age)Mazda, 4 years old: 85%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars this age)Mazda, 5 years old: 79%, drawn from the nearby bands (14 cars this age)Mazda, 6 years old: 72%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars this age)Mazda, 7 years old: 63%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars this age)Mazda, 8 years old: 57%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)Mazda, 9 years old: 43% in good shape (28 cars)Mazda, 10 years old: 48%, drawn from the nearby bands (16 cars this age)Mazda, 11 years old: 50%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age)Mazda, 12 years old: 38% in good shape (13 cars)Mazda, 13 years old: 28%, drawn from the nearby bands (7 cars this age)Mazda, 14 years old: 38%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age) 2y 4y 6y 8y 10y 12y 14y 16y vehicle age when we inspected it

Share in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; a band under 20 cars follows the nearby bands, so a run above the all-cars line stays above it, and a band of 20 or more uses the rate we measured; where a band has too few cars, the line follows the trend between the bands on either side; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). Dashed grey = all cars we check.

Most common faults
BMW
Oil leaks · Engine
54%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
37%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
34%
Low coolant / cooling system issues · Engine
26%
Electronic components issues · Engine
16%
Mazda
Oil leaks · Engine
65%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
34%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
33%
Worn suspension joints · Suspension
18%
Belts · Engine
14%
Trajectory by generation
BMW ▲ Newer BMWs are holding up better 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 52% in good shape (age-adjusted; 34 cars, raw 53%) 52 2015–17: 67% in good shape (age-adjusted; 48 cars, raw 65%) 67 2018–20: 75% in good shape (age-adjusted; 52 cars, raw 81%) 75 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+
Mazda ↘↗ Dipped in the mid-2010s — the newest generation recovered 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 64% in good shape (age-adjusted; 23 cars, raw 61%) 64 2015–17: 53% in good shape (age-adjusted; 43 cars, raw 47%) 53 2018–20: 65% in good shape (age-adjusted; 34 cars, raw 71%) 65 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+

Share in good shape when inspected at the same age (5–10 years, age-adjusted), by model-year generation; dashed = all-brand average. All brands →

FAQ
?
Which is more reliable, BMW or Mazda?
BMW leads on our inspections: 67/100 average condition vs 63/100 for Mazda, from 566 real pre-purchase inspections.
?
What are the most common problems with used BMWs and Mazdas?
On BMWs we flag oil leaks (54%), active error codes (37%), tires condition & wear (34%). On Mazdas: oil leaks (65%), fuel trim out of range (34%), tires condition & wear (33%).
?
How many BMW and Mazda vehicles have you inspected?
341 BMWs and 225 Mazdas — 566 real pre-purchase inspections. Updated Oct 27, 2026.
?
How long do BMWs and Mazdas stay in good shape?
In our data, the average BMW dips below “decent” around ~101k mi; Mazda around ~115k mi. Individual cars vary — get the one you’re buying inspected.
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Based on 566 inspections · updated Oct 27, 2026