Is the Mazda 3 reliable?

On MOT evidence the Mazda 3 is below average. It passes 70.6% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 164 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Mazda 3?

The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 19.8% of failed Mazda 3 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Mazda 3?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 22.8% of all Mazda 3 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Mazda 3 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 75,957 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Does a Mazda 3 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 89.1% of Mazda 3 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 53.9%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Mazda 3 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Mazda 3 cars tested, 87% are petrol, 13% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Mazda 3 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 104,858 recorded MOT tests of the Mazda 3, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Mazda 3 passes 70.6% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is below average, ranking it 164 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 104,858 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, which appears in 19.8% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 75,957 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

70.6%national average72.3%unadjusted68.8%range covered100%rank164 of 262

The 3 is 1.7 percentage points below the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is below average. The unadjusted figure is 68.8%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Mazda 3 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened19.8%
5,396 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn17.2%
4,672 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm13.3%
3,610 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
4.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning13.1%
3,561 occurrencesLamp not working explained
5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements11.6%
3,157 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn7.4%
2,010 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
7.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements6.8%
1,851 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
8.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction6.8%
1,846 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
9.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen6.6%
1,787 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
10.A tyre seriously damaged6.3%
1,702 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Mazda 3 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements22.8%
23,946 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged16.1%
16,869 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured14.9%
15,631 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm14.4%
15,048 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded12.6%
13,177 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
6.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded11.3%
11,841 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
7.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded10.5%
11,008 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn9.1%
9,574 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs89%

6–8 yrs80%

9–11 yrs71%

12–14 yrs63%

15+ yrs54%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The 3 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 75,957
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol87.0%
Diesel12.9%

Trim names grouped into this model (15)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

3 100TH ANNIVERSARY ED MHEV
3 GT SPORT EDITION MHEV
3 GT SPORT EDITION MHEV AUTO
3 GT SPORT TECH EDITION MHEV
3 GT SPORT TECH MHEV 4X4
3 GT SPORT TECH MHEV 4X4 AUTO
3 HOMURA MHEV AUTO
3 MHEV
3 SPORT
3 SPORT MHEV
3 SPORT MHEV AUTO
3 SPORT NAV
3 TAKUMI MHEV
3 TAKUMI MHEV AUTO
MAZDA 3

Check a specific Mazda 3

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Mazda models

Mazda 2 — 69.8% adjusted
Mazda MX-5 — 77.2% adjusted
Mazda CX-5 — 78.5% adjusted
Mazda 6 — 73.3% adjusted
Mazda CX-3 — 83.5% unadjusted
Mazda CX-30 — 91.3% unadjusted
All Mazda models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Kia Niro — 85.8% adjusted, ranked 15
Toyota RAV4 — 79.0% adjusted, ranked 63
Ford C-Max — 68.7% adjusted, ranked 183
Vauxhall Combo — 63.5% adjusted, ranked 236

Common questions

Is the Mazda 3 reliable?: On MOT evidence the Mazda 3 is below average. It passes 70.6% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 164 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Mazda 3?: The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 19.8% of failed Mazda 3 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Mazda 3?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 22.8% of all Mazda 3 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Mazda 3 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 75,957 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Does a Mazda 3 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 89.1% of Mazda 3 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 53.9%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Mazda 3 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Mazda 3 cars tested, 87% are petrol, 13% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.