Mazda 3: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Mazda 3 fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 3.3 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 108,805 individual Mazda 3 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 73.4% first-time pass rate means roughly 27 in every 100 Mazda 3s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Mazda 3 tested had covered 73,606 miles and was built around 2013.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Mazda 3 bought as a repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Mazda 3 rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged Mazda 3s actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Mazda 3

1. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 3.4% of tests (2.08x the national rate for this defect)
2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 7.3% of tests (1.98x the national rate for this defect)
3. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 2.9% of tests (1.86x the national rate for this defect)
4. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 1.6% of tests (1.75x the national rate for this defect)
5. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.7% of tests (1.68x the national rate for this defect)
6. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 1.1% of tests (1.56x the national rate for this defect)
7. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 1.9% of tests (1.39x the national rate for this defect)
8. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 1.1% of tests (1.38x the national rate for this defect)
9. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 1% of tests (1.26x the national rate for this defect)
10. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.5% of tests (1.25x the national rate for this defect)

From 152,720 DVSA-tracked Mazda 3 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.18% of these flagged Mazda 3 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

Mazda 3 pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each Mazda 3 year:

• 2004 Mazda 3 - 57.4% first-time pass, 754 tests
• 2005 Mazda 3 - 59.3% first-time pass, 2,574 tests
• 2006 Mazda 3 - 60.3% first-time pass, 3,739 tests
• 2007 Mazda 3 - 60.8% first-time pass, 5,092 tests
• 2008 Mazda 3 - 60.4% first-time pass, 6,153 tests
• 2009 Mazda 3 - 63% first-time pass, 7,451 tests
• 2010 Mazda 3 - 66.6% first-time pass, 8,268 tests
• 2011 Mazda 3 - 66.5% first-time pass, 5,393 tests
• 2012 Mazda 3 - 72.1% first-time pass, 4,904 tests
• 2013 Mazda 3 - 74.8% first-time pass, 5,127 tests
• 2014 Mazda 3 - 75% first-time pass, 8,422 tests
• 2015 Mazda 3 - 76.5% first-time pass, 11,795 tests
• 2016 Mazda 3 - 77.4% first-time pass, 10,635 tests
• 2017 Mazda 3 - 79.1% first-time pass, 8,226 tests
• 2018 Mazda 3 - 85.8% first-time pass, 7,056 tests
• 2019 Mazda 3 - 91.2% first-time pass, 4,377 tests
• 2020 Mazda 3 - 92.6% first-time pass, 4,095 tests
• 2021 Mazda 3 - 92.9% first-time pass, 3,962 tests

Mazda 3 by fuel type

Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number:

• Petrol Mazda 3 - 74.3% first-time pass, 93,122 tests
• Diesel Mazda 3 - 71% first-time pass, 15,010 tests

Other Mazda models

• Mazda 2 - 73.4%
• Mazda Mx-5 - 77.2%
• Mazda 6 - 74%
• Mazda Cx-5 - 83.1%
• Mazda Cx-3 - 88%
• Mazda 5 - 59%
• Mazda Bongo - 58.1%
• Mazda 2 GT Sport Nav Mhev - 93.9%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Volkswagen Unclassified - 73.5%
• Honda Civic - 73.4%
• Mazda 2 - 73.4%
• Mitsubishi Shogun - 73.3%
• Citroen C4 Grand Picasso - 73.3%
• Volkswagen Crafter - 73.2%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate