Mazda 3 MOT failure rate and common faults
104,175 Mazda 3 cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 31.2% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 29.9% of the time, which makes the Mazda 3 4% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
31.2%
failed first time
104,175 MOT tests in 2025
+4%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 29.9%
143 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
127.4
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 109.1
What fails on a Mazda 3 MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Mazda 3 MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 52.2 |
| Ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 52.2 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 47.0 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 35.5 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 31.3 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 23.7 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 23.2 |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights and electrics | 20.2 |
| Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 19.4 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 16.5 |
Mazda 3 MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,580 | 8.0% | 11.4% | 24,700 |
| 2021 | 4,094 | 10.8% | 12.8% | 30,500 |
| 2020 | 4,312 | 12.8% | 14.1% | 35,600 |
| 2019 | 4,451 | 12.5% | 16.5% | 41,600 |
| 2018 | 7,052 | 17.3% | 19.1% | 49,500 |
| 2017 | 8,187 | 26.0% | 21.8% | 58,600 |
| 2016 | 10,482 | 27.0% | 25.1% | 67,600 |
| 2015 | 11,621 | 29.9% | 28.1% | 76,000 |
| 2014 | 8,176 | 29.7% | 31.4% | 81,000 |
| 2013 | 5,010 | 31.7% | 34.3% | 83,600 |
| 2012 | 4,679 | 36.9% | 36.6% | 93,800 |
| 2011 | 5,073 | 43.6% | 38.8% | 97,300 |
| 2010 | 7,551 | 42.3% | 40.7% | 102,700 |
| 2009 | 6,614 | 43.6% | 41.8% | 102,300 |
| 2008 | 5,298 | 49.3% | 42.9% | 102,600 |
| 2007 | 4,158 | 48.1% | 42.7% | 105,700 |
| 2006 | 2,902 | 49.0% | 43.0% | 106,400 |
| 2005 | 1,935 | 52.0% | 42.4% | 105,600 |
Advisories to look for in a Mazda 3's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Mazda 3, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge257.0
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing160.9
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened149.1
- Brake pads: wearing thin143.8
- Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened125.0
- Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened112.8
Checking a used Mazda 3 before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Mazda 3 fails more often than average on suspension. Start there.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Mazda 3 cars tested: Petrol 87%, Diesel 13%. Average age at test 11.1 years, average recorded mileage 75,900.
Mazda 3 MOT questions
What is the Mazda 3 MOT failure rate?
31.2% of Mazda 3 cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 104,175 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 29.9% of the time, so the Mazda 3 was 4% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Mazda 3 MOT?
Suspension caused the most failure items, at 209 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded 52.2 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Mazda 3 year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2022 registrations did best: 8.0% failed against an average of 11.4% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Mazda 3 will pass?
No. These are averages across every Mazda 3 tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Mazda models
- Mazda 230.4% failed
- Mazda CX-519.6% failed
- Mazda MX-521.7% failed
- Mazda 630.7% failed
- Mazda CX-316.5% failed
- Mazda CX-308.7% failed
Ranked close to the Mazda 3
- SEAT Aronarank 140
- Kia Picantorank 141
- Kia Riorank 142
- Vauxhall Astrarank 144
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Mazda 3 cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.