Mazda CX-3 MOT failure rate and common faults
25,299 Mazda CX-3 cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 16.5% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 20.8% of the time, which makes the Mazda CX-3 21% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
16.5%
failed first time
25,299 MOT tests in 2025
-21%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 20.8%
49 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
64.1
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 85.7
What fails on a Mazda CX-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 CX-3 MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 27.1 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 21.5 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 20.8 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 18.7 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 16.8 |
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 11.8 |
| Seat belts: retracting mechanism defective | Seat belts and airbags | 11.6 |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 9.4 |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded | Brakes | 7.5 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 7.1 |
Mazda CX-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 7,580 | 12.1% | 16.5% | 37,700 |
| 2018 | 5,645 | 12.4% | 19.1% | 45,900 |
| 2017 | 4,862 | 16.1% | 21.8% | 53,400 |
| 2016 | 4,861 | 23.4% | 25.1% | 61,500 |
| 2015 | 2,327 | 27.3% | 28.1% | 66,600 |
Advisories to look for in a Mazda CX-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 CX-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 edge219.5
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing175.1
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened141.0
- Brake pads: wearing thin134.1
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material71.0
- Brake discs: worn, but not excessively40.8
Checking a used Mazda CX-3 before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Mazda CX-3 fails more often than average on seat belts and airbags. Start there.
Seat belts and airbags
Pull every seat belt out fully and let it retract, check each buckle latches, and make sure the airbag warning light goes out after starting.
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 CX-3 cars tested: Petrol 89%, Diesel 11%. Average age at test 7.6 years, average recorded mileage 49,800.
Mazda CX-3 MOT questions
What is the Mazda CX-3 MOT failure rate?
16.5% of Mazda CX-3 cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 25,299 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 20.8% of the time, so the Mazda CX-3 was 21% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Mazda CX-3 MOT?
Tyres caused the most failure items, at 60 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively", recorded 27.1 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Mazda CX-3 year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2018 registrations did best: 12.4% failed against an average of 19.1% 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 CX-3 will pass?
No. These are averages across every Mazda CX-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 331.2% failed
- Mazda CX-519.6% failed
- Mazda MX-521.7% failed
- Mazda 630.7% failed
- Mazda CX-308.7% failed
Ranked close to the Mazda CX-3
- Toyota RAV4rank 46
- Mercedes-Benz CLSrank 47
- Suzuki Vitararank 48
- Volkswagen Touaregrank 50
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 CX-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.