Mazda 3 MOT Pass Rate
The Mazda 3 has an MOT pass rate of 79.6%, compared with a UK average of 79.1%, based on 20,649 DVSA MOT tests from 2004 to March 2026. It ranks 199th of 386 cars we track by pass rate.
The most common MOT problem area on the Mazda 3 is tyres, at 24.5% of all defects and advisories recorded.
Allowing for age, the weakest Mazda 3 years are 2016 and 2017, which fail more often than the average car registered in the same year.
Data: DVSA MOT test results, 2004 to March 2026. Last updated 3 October 2026.
- Mazda 3 MOT pass rate
- 79.6%
- UK average pass rate
- 79.1%
- MOT tests analysed
- 20,649
Ranked 199 of 386 models by MOT pass rate (1 is the highest).
What the Mazda 3 fails on
Every defect and advisory recorded at MOT, grouped by area. Includes advisories as well as failure items.
| Area | Share of all items | Items per 100 tests | Items recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 24.5% | 49.1 | 10,142 |
| Brakes | 24.3% | 48.6 | 10,036 |
| Suspension | 20.3% | 40.8 | 8,418 |
| Lights and signalling | 9.4% | 18.9 | 3,901 |
| Corrosion | 6.2% | 12.4 | 2,564 |
| Other items | 4.8% | 9.6 | 1,974 |
| Windscreen and wipers | 3.8% | 7.7 | 1,590 |
| Bodywork | 2.5% | 5.1 | 1,044 |
| Exhaust and emissions | 1.5% | 3.1 | 633 |
| Fuel system | 1.3% | 2.7 | 554 |
| Steering | 0.5% | 0.9 | 195 |
| Structure | 0.4% | 0.9 | 180 |
| Electrical | 0.3% | 0.6 | 127 |
| Drivetrain | 0.1% | 0.1 | 27 |
Fail rate by mileage
How the Mazda 3 holds up as the miles build, using the odometer reading at each test.
| Mileage at test | 3 fail rate | UK fail rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 miles | 11.9% | 13.1% | 6,834 |
| 40,000 to 79,999 miles | 20% | 21.7% | 8,273 |
| 80,000 to 119,999 miles | 30.2% | 28.3% | 4,172 |
| 120,000 miles or more | 35.9% | 31.4% | 1,352 |
Which years to avoid
Fail rate by year first registered, next to the UK fail rate for all cars registered that year. Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare each year with its own UK figure.
| Year | 3 fail rate | UK fail rate, same year | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 19.6% | 25.3% | 168 |
| 2005 | 23.5% | 25.4% | 969 |
| 2006 | 19.3% | 25.3% | 575 |
| 2007 | 23.4% | 25.2% | 1,403 |
| 2008 | 26.1% | 25.3% | 1,762 |
| 2009 | 23.7% | 24.9% | 1,716 |
| 2010 | 23.5% | 24.5% | 2,011 |
| 2011 | 23.8% | 23.4% | 1,078 |
| 2012 | 20.2% | 22.6% | 1,166 |
| 2013 | 18.2% | 21.6% | 996 |
| 2014 | 18.3% | 20.2% | 1,627 |
| 2015 | 19.3% | 18.7% | 2,499 |
| 2016 | 18.6% | 17.3% | 1,528 |
| 2017 | 16.7% | 15.6% | 1,297 |
| 2018 | 14.1% | 14.7% | 933 |
| 2019 | 9.9% | 13.8% | 313 |
| 2020 | 11.3% | 13.3% | 247 |
| 2021 | 11.6% | 12.9% | 198 |
| 2022 | 7.8% | 12.7% | 116 |
Years with fewer than 50 tests, and cars too new to have reached their first MOT, are left out.
Mazda 3 MOT questions
Is the Mazda 3 reliable?
On MOT results the Mazda 3 is close to the average: it passes 79.6% of tests against a UK average of 79.1%, ranking 199th of 386 cars we track. Allowing for the age of the cars tested, its fail rate of 20.4% is 0.9 percentage points lower than the 21.3% you would expect from the average car of the same registration years. A pass rate is one useful signal of how well a model holds up, but it does not capture breakdowns between tests, repair costs or how an individual car has been looked after, so always check the history of the specific car.
What does the Mazda 3 usually fail its MOT on?
Across 20,649 MOT tests, the areas most often flagged on the Mazda 3 were tyres (24.5%), brakes (24.3%) and suspension (20.3%), shown as a share of all defects and advisories recorded. These counts include advisories as well as failure items, so they show where problems tend to appear rather than only what caused a fail.
Which Mazda 3 years should I avoid?
Comparing each year with the average car of the same age, the weakest years of the Mazda 3 were 2016 (18.6% fail rate against 17.3% for all cars first registered that year, 1,528 tests) and 2017 (16.7% fail rate against 15.6% for all cars first registered that year, 1,297 tests). The strongest relative to their age were 2012, 2014 and 2007. Older cars fail more often whatever the model, which is why each year is compared with its own age group. Only years with at least 1,000 tests are included.
Does the Mazda 3 get worse with mileage?
Yes. The Mazda 3 fails 11.9% of MOT tests taken at under 40,000 miles and 35.9% at 120,000 miles or more, based on 6,834 and 1,352 tests respectively. Across all models the equivalent figures are 13.1% and 31.4%.
How does the Mazda 3 compare with the national average?
The Mazda 3 passes 79.6% of MOT tests, 0.5 percentage points above the UK average of 79.1% across all 6,681,613 tests in the data. That places it 199th of 386 cars with at least 1,000 tests, where 1st has the highest pass rate.
Check a specific Mazda 3
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Data: DVSA MOT test results for Great Britain, 2004 to March 2026, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures cover 20,649 tests. Last updated 3 October 2026. How these figures are calculated.
How to cite this data: Source: CarBuyerIQ analysis of DVSA MOT test data, https://www.carbuyeriq.com/mot-pass-rates/mazda/3