Mazda 3 MOT pass rate & common failures
671,343 MOT tests on the Mazda 3 (2003–2023) give it a 79.2% pass rate. Small family cars of a similar age fail 19.4% of the time, so this is 1.5pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
Best and worst 3 years
Ranked across 3 years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2022 cars pass 95.1% of the time while 2004 cars manage 68.2%, a 26.9-point spread.
No single area dominates — suspension (11.5%) and lighting & signalling (8.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are ball joint, position lamp and coil spring — ball joint alone was recorded 30,677 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 8.2% in the 0-30k band and 32.1% in the 150k+ band, a 23.9-point spread — more than double.
The petrol cars hold up better: 20.6% fail against 22.3% for diesel, a 1.7-point gap across 671,260 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 26.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every 3 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 85 | 69.4% | 30.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 7,031 | 68.2% | 31.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 22,466 | 68.9% | 31.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 30,751 | 70.4% | 29.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 39,630 | 71.5% | 28.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 46,133 | 71.2% | 28.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 52,784 | 73.6% | 26.5% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 55,843 | 75.5% | 24.5% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 35,896 | 76.1% | 23.9% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 31,169 | 79.5% | 20.5% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 31,388 | 81.9% | 18.1% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 51,647 | 80.8% | 19.2% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 71,612 | 81.9% | 18.1% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 63,791 | 82.5% | 17.5% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 48,473 | 84.3% | 15.7% | Suspension |
| 2018 | 39,185 | 89.8% | 10.2% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 18,863 | 93.0% | 7.0% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 13,444 | 92.9% | 7.1% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 8,377 | 93.0% | 7.0% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 2,633 | 95.1% | 4.9% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 142 | 94.4% | 5.6% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 11.5% | 76,840 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 8.8% | 58,961 |
| 3 | Brakes | 5.8% | 38,962 |
| 4 | Tyres | 5.3% | 35,897 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.5% | 23,189 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.8% | 18,430 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.8% | 11,871 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.7% | 4,373 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball joint | 30,677 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 27,473 |
| 3 | Coil spring | 26,604 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 21,999 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 20,733 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 19,945 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 16,010 |
| 8 | Wipers | 14,841 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 26.9% | 180,667 |
| 2 | Brakes | 25.2% | 169,191 |
| 3 | Suspension | 24.5% | 164,609 |
| 4 | Other defects | 9.0% | 60,287 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 8.3% | 55,496 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.9% | 39,750 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 81,795 | 8.2% |
| 30-60k | 183,372 | 15.4% |
| 60-90k | 188,169 | 22.2% |
| 90-120k | 137,231 | 27.7% |
| 120-150k | 59,996 | 30.5% |
| 150k+ | 20,692 | 32.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 569,837 | 20.6% |
| Diesel | 101,423 | 22.3% |
| Hybrid | 73 | 8.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 136,224 | 20.0% |
| 2022 | 136,475 | 20.6% |
| 2023 | 136,266 | 21.2% |
| 2024 | 133,520 | 21.2% |
| 2025 | 128,858 | 21.1% |
What to check before buying a Mazda 3
- Suspension (11.5% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Lighting & signalling (8.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (5.8% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Mazda 3?
79.2% of the 671,343 Mazda 3 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 20.8% fail rate, across model years 2003–2023.
What does the Mazda 3 most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 11.5% of tests, then lighting & signalling (8.8%).
Which 3 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 95.1% and 2004 the weakest at 68.2%, from 2,633 and 7,031 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect 3 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 8.2% for cars in the 0-30k band and 32.1% for 150k+, a 23.9-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel 3 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 20.6% of the time against 22.3% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 671,343 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.