Backblaze has released DriveStats, the definitive Q1 2025 report on enterprise hard drive health.
Backblaze released its latest DriveStats report for the first quarter of 2025, offering another detailed look at hard drives’ reliability across its massive cloud storage infrastructure. With over 317,000 drives monitored and well over 27 million drive days logged between January and March, the data shows an interesting picture of ongoing performance trends, emerging concerns, and the durability of aging hardware. Check out our coverage on Backblaze’s full 2024 Drive Stats report for a deep dive into last year’s performance trends.
Backblaze Q1 2025 Hard Drive Failure Rates
Backblaze’s reporting only includes drives that meet specific criteria: over 100 units deployed and more than 10,000 drive days during the quarter. Additionally, test drives and drives lacking sufficient data are excluded to ensure statistical validity. This quarter, 593 drives were left out for these reasons.
Here’s the full rundown of the Backblaze hard drive failure rates for Q1 2025:
| MFG | Model | Size (TB) | Drive Count | Avg Age (Months) | Drive Days | Failures | AFR |
| HGST | HMS5C4040ALE640 | 4 | 264 | 96.4 | 22,302 | 0 | 0% |
| HGST | HMS5C4040BLE640 | 4 | 4,121 | 97.9 | 324,039 | 3 | 0.34% |
| HGST | HUH728080ALE600 | 8 | 1,084 | 82.8 | 97,312 | 3 | 1.13% |
| HGST | HUH721212ALE600 | 12 | 2,608 | 64.0 | 234,542 | 2 | 0.31% |
| HGST | HUH721212ALE604 | 12 | 13,435 | 45.3 | 1,197,864 | 93 | 2.83% |
| HGST | HUH721212ALN604 | 12 | 10,195 | 69.1 | 911,546 | 124 | 4.97% |
| Seagate | ST8000DM002 | 8 | 9,078 | 100.9 | 814,279 | 51 | 2.29% |
| Seagate | ST8000NM000A | 8 | 247 | 26.0 | 22,225 | 0 | 0% |
| Seagate | ST8000NM0055 | 8 | 13,533 | 89.6 | 1,212,798 | 109 | 3.28% |
| Seagate | ST10000NM0086 | 10 | 1,036 | 87.0 | 92,767 | 12 | 4.72% |
| Seagate | ST12000NM0007 | 12 | 1,038 | 64.0 | 92,483 | 24 | 9.47% |
| Seagate | ST12000NM0008 | 12 | 19,145 | 58.7 | 1,714,395 | 104 | 2.21% |
| Seagate | ST12000NM000J | 12 | 918 | 9.3 | 74,446 | 0 | 0% |
| Seagate | ST12000NM001G | 12 | 13,214 | 49.4 | 1,186,197 | 26 | 0.80% |
| Seagate | ST14000NM000J | 14 | 277 | 9.9 | 22,369 | 0 | 0% |
| Seagate | ST14000NM001G | 14 | 10,600 | 48.7 | 951,868 | 37 | 1.42% |
| Seagate | ST14000NM0138 | 14 | 1,322 | 50.7 | 117,692 | 22 | 6.82% |
| Seagate | ST16000NM001G | 16 | 33,817 | 30.4 | 3,029,485 | 41 | 0.49% |
| Seagate | ST16000NM002J | 16 | 461 | 27.4 | 41,431 | 1 | 0.88% |
| Seagate | ST24000NM002H | 24 | 3,607 | 2.3 | 230,406 | 8 | 1.11% |
| Toshiba | MG07ACA14TA | 14 | 37,705 | 52.3 | 3,385,931 | 133 | 1.43% |
| Toshiba | MG07ACA18TEY | 14 | 834 | 34.7 | 70,377 | 1 | 1.04% |
| Toshiba | MG08ACA16TA | 16 | 40,273 | 20.4 | 3,616,128 | 94 | 0.95% |
| Toshiba | MG08ACA16TE | 16 | 5,925 | 40.1 | 534,001 | 10 | 1.58% |
| Toshiba | MG08ACA16TEY | 16 | 5,174 | 38.9 | 464,361 | 19 | 1.49% |
| Toshiba | MG10ACA20TE | 20 | 10,814 | 3.9 | 633,439 | 11 | 0.63% |
| WDC | WUH721414ALE6L4 | 14 | 8,615 | 49.9 | 719,091 | 9 | 0.99% |
| WDC | WUH721816ALE6L0 | 16 | 3,016 | 38.7 | 271,099 | 11 | 1.48% |
| WDC | WUH721818ALE6L0 | 16 | 26,529 | 23.3 | 2,383,322 | 35 | 0.54% |
| WDC | WUH722222ALE6L4 | 22 | 34,857 | 7.3 | 2,870,372 | 56 | 0.71% |
| Totals | 27,388,225 | 1,064 | 1.42% | ||||
Notable Q1 2025 Highlights
Aging 4TB Drives Still Going Strong
Despite their gradual phase-out, older 4TB drives continue to perform impressively. The HGST HMS5C4040ALE640 recorded zero failures, while its counterpart, the HMS5C4040BLE640, posted a modest annualized failure rate (AFR) of 0.34%. These results demonstrate the continued reliability of smaller-capacity drives even as the focus shifts to higher-density models.
High-Capacity Drives
Backblaze is keeping a close eye on drives in the 20TB-and-above category. While Seagate’s 24TB model (ST24000NM002H) saw its first recorded failures (eight in total), its 1.00% AFR remains within acceptable limits. Encouragingly, the entire 20TB+ fleet averaged a 0.72% AFR, outperforming the overall average and suggesting strong reliability at the upper end of the capacity spectrum.
Zero-Failure Standouts
Four drive models went the entire quarter without a single failure:
- HGST 4TB (HMS5C4040ALE640)
- Seagate 8TB (ST8000NM000A)
- Seagate 12TB (ST12000NM000J)
- Seagate 14TB (ST14000NM000J)
Three of these models repeated their perfect performance from Q4 2024, with only the Seagate 12TB drive newly joining the zero-failure club.
A Slight Uptick in Overall Failure Rates
The failure rate increased slightly to 1.42%, up from 1.35% in the previous quarter. While still relatively low, the increase was driven in part by higher AFRs in a few repeat offenders:
- Seagate 10TB (ST10000NM0086) improved slightly from 5.72% to 4.72%.
- HGST 12TB (HUH721212ALN604) remained high at 4.97%.
- Seagate 12TB (ST12000NM0007) worsened significantly, jumping to 9.47%.
- Seagate 14TB (ST14000NM0138) also rose sharply, reaching 6.82%.
These figures indicate some ongoing reliability challenges with specific models, even as most drive pools remain stable.
Backblaze Lifetime Hard Drive Failure Rates
Backblaze also shared an update on lifetime hard drive failure rates as of the end of Q1 2025. This dataset provides a broader view of drive reliability over the long term, aggregating data across hundreds of millions of drive days.
The lifetime statistics include only drive models with at least 500 units deployed and more than 100,000 total drive days, ensuring consistency and statistical reliability in the analysis. These figures help identify quarterly anomalies and overall performance trends, longevity, and potential weak points across different models and manufacturers.
Below is the rundown of lifetime failure rates:
| Mfg | Model | Size (TB) | Drive Count | Avg Age (Months) | Drive Days | Failures | AFR |
| HGST | HMS5C4040BLE640 | 4 | 4,121 | 82.7 | 4,112,015 | 447 | 0.40% |
| HGST | HUH728080ALE600 | 8 | 1,084 | 77.6 | 2,873,103 | 90 | 1.14% |
| HGST | HUH721212ALE600 | 12 | 2,608 | 63.0 | 5,164,524 | 81 | 0.57% |
| HGST | HUH721212ALE604 | 12 | 13,435 | 44.6 | 19,179,335 | 763 | 1.45% |
| HGST | HUH721212ALN604 | 12 | 10,195 | 67.1 | 23,327,671 | 1,314 | 2.06% |
| Seagate | ST8000DM002 | 8 | 9,078 | 95.6 | 30,013,992 | 1,250 | 1.52% |
| Seagate | ST8000NM0055 | 8 | 13,533 | 84.5 | 40,297,357 | 2,183 | 1.98% |
| Seagate | ST10000NM0086 | 10 | 1,036 | 80.8 | 3,205,356 | 250 | 2.85% |
| Seagate | ST12000NM0007 | 12 | 1,038 | 31.3 | 36,964,160 | 2,225 | 2.23% |
| Seagate | ST12000NM0008 | 12 | 19,145 | 56.6 | 36,185,545 | 1,955 | 1.97% |
| Seagate | ST12000NM000J | 12 | 918 | 9.2 | 262,834 | 17 | 2.36% |
| Seagate | ST12000NM001G | 12 | 13,214 | 48.5 | 20,289,453 | 545 | 0.98% |
| Seagate | ST14000NM001G | 14 | 10,600 | 47.5 | 16,183,729 | 630 | 1.42% |
| Seagate | ST14000NM0138 | 14 | 1,322 | 44.9 | 2,306,562 | 377 | 5.97% |
| Seagate | ST16000NM001G | 16 | 33,817 | 30.1 | 31,614,753 | 635 | 0.73% |
| Seagate | ST24000NM002H | 24 | 3,607 | 2.3 | 248,406 | 7 | 1.03% |
| Toshiba | MG07ACA14TA | 14 | 37,705 | 51.3 | 61,405,563 | 1,721 | 1.02% |
| Toshiba | MG07ACA14TEY | 14 | 834 | 33.9 | 892,848 | 35 | 1.43% |
| Toshiba | MG08ACA16TA | 16 | 40,273 | 18.8 | 23,350,609 | 743 | 1.16% |
| Toshiba | MG08ACA16TE | 16 | 5,925 | 39.2 | 7,333,478 | 248 | 1.23% |
| Toshiba | MG08ACA16TEY | 16 | 5,174 | 38.2 | 6,221,237 | 194 | 1.14% |
| Toshiba | MG10ACA20TE | 20 | 10,814 | 3.8 | 1,265,700 | 26 | 0.75% |
| WDC | WUH721414ALE6L4 | 14 | 8,615 | 49.5 | 1,398,175 | 175 | 0.48% |
| WDC | WUH721816ALE6L0 | 16 | 3,016 | 38.3 | 3,575,753 | 61 | 0.62% |
| WDC | WUH721818ALE6L0 | 16 | 26,529 | 23.1 | 18,772,389 | 189 | 0.37% |
| WDC | WUH722222ALE6L4 | 22 | 34,857 | 7.3 | 7,736,601 | 197 | 0.93% |
| Totals | 452,991,106 | 16,388 | 1.32% | ||||
Notable lifetime failure rate highlights
Among the most notable findings in the updated lifetime drive failure rates are improvements in annualized failure rates (AFRs) for a few key models. These reductions, shown in the latest table, indicate statistically significant reliability gains and a positive development in long-term drive performance.
Key Models with Improved AFRs
| Model | Size | AFR (2025) | AFR (2024) | Change |
| Seagate ST12000NM000J | 12TB | 2.36% | 3.29% | –28.27% |
| Toshiba MG07ACA14TEY | 14TB | 1.43% | 1.52% | –5.92% |
| Toshiba MG10ACA20TE | 20TB | 0.75% | 0.87% | –13.79% |
| WDC WUH722222ALE6L4 | 22TB | 0.93% | 1.06% | –12.26% |
The Seagate and Toshiba 14TB models maintained nearly identical failures, but more drive days lowered their AFR. The drop for the Toshiba 20TB and WDC 22TB came despite a larger fleet, suggesting better performance from newly added units or a stabilizing failure rate as deployment scales.
Key Models with Noticeably Worsened AFRs
While most drives held steady or improved, a few models showed statistically significant increases in lifetime failure rates:
| Model | Size | AFR (2025) | AFR (2024) | Change % |
| HGST HUH721212ALE604 | 12TB | 1.45% | 1.36% | +6.62% |
| HGST HUH721212ALN604 | 12TB | 2.06% | 1.94% | +6.19% |
| WDC WUH721414ALE6L4 | 14TB | 0.48% | 0.45% | +6.67% |
| WDC WUH721816ALE6L0 | 16TB | 0.62% | 0.55% | +12.73% |
| WDC WUH721818ALE6L4 | 16TB | 0.37% | 0.34% | +8.82% |
While technically showing increases, the WDC drives remain among the top performers overall. Even small percentage shifts stand out due to the large sample sizes and low baseline failure rates.
The two HGST 12TB models, however, are worth closer attention. The ALN604 model is aging, with an average drive age of over five years, aligning with the expected uptick in failures as drives reach end-of-life. The ALE604 model is younger and has seen a modest rise in AFR. It’s not yet alarming, but could become more significant if the trend persists.
Drive Stats Gets a Back-End Boost with Snowflake Migration
As part of the Q1 2025 Drive Stats release, Backblaze rolled out a behind-the-scenes upgrade to its long-running data collection process. The team has migrated its Drive Stats dataset to Snowflake, streamlining what was once a labor-intensive workflow reliant on manual queries and desktop-based tools. This transition simplifies current reporting and lays the groundwork for more scalable and efficient analysis. While the core methodology remains consistent for continuity, this modernization marks a key step toward broader plans for the future of Drive Stats.
For a complete look at the Drive Stats data, visit Backblaze’s official Drive Stats page.
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