Mazda Cx-3: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Mazda Cx-3 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 11.3 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 25,043 individual Mazda Cx-3 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 88% first-time pass rate means roughly 12 in every 100 Mazda Cx-3s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Mazda Cx-3 tested had covered 43,653 miles and was built around 2017.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Mazda Cx-3 sits 11.3 points above the national average, ranked 981 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

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 Cx-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 recorded closing bids for damaged Mazda Cx-3s at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Mazda Cx-3

1. Seat belt retractor not functioning as intended, 0.9% of tests (25.07x the national rate for this defect)
2. Seat belt not functioning as intended or of an incorrect type, 0.5% of tests (6.01x the national rate for this defect)
3. A tyre seriously damaged, 3% of tests
4. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 2% of tests
5. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.8% of tests
6. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 1.5% of tests
7. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 1.3% of tests
8. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 0.8% of tests
9. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 0.5% of tests
10. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 0.5% of tests

From 25,031 DVSA-tracked Mazda Cx-3 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.57% of these flagged Mazda Cx-3 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Mazda Cx-3

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Mazda Cx-3 before it actually fails on it.

1. A tyre seriously damaged, 23.1% of tests (1.5x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 13.8% of tests (1.47x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 23.5% of tests, also fails
4. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 12.7% of tests
5. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 5.1% of tests, also fails
6. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 3.6% of tests, also fails
7. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 1.4% of tests
8. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 0.7% of tests
9. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 0.6% of tests
10. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 0.5% of tests

From 25,031 DVSA-tracked Mazda Cx-3 tests, 2024.

Mazda Cx-3 pass rate by model year

From its 2015 to its 2019 model year, the Mazda Cx-3's first-time pass rate has risen 10.1 points, from 81.7% to 91.8%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Mazda Cx-3 year:

• 2015 Mazda Cx-3 - 81.7% first-time pass, 2,384 tests
• 2016 Mazda Cx-3 - 82.9% first-time pass, 4,930 tests
• 2017 Mazda Cx-3 - 88.5% first-time pass, 4,869 tests
• 2018 Mazda Cx-3 - 90.9% first-time pass, 5,653 tests
• 2019 Mazda Cx-3 - 91.8% first-time pass, 7,112 tests

Mazda Cx-3 by fuel type

The Mazda Cx-3's two most-tested fuel types split by 4.1 points: petrol passes first time 88.7% of the time (22,014 tests) against 84.6% for diesel (2,950 tests).

• Petrol Mazda Cx-3 - 88.7% first-time pass, 22,014 tests
• Diesel Mazda Cx-3 - 84.6% first-time pass, 2,950 tests

Other Mazda models

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

Models with a similar pass rate

• Hyundai Ioniq First Edition Hev S-A - 88.1%
• Volvo Xc90 Momentum B5 Awd Auto - 88.1%
• Volkswagen Caddy C20 Commerce + Tdi - 88.1%
• BMW 440 - 88%
• Vauxhall Crossland X Griffin - 88%
• Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line Tech Tdi - 88%

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
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate