97,418 tests in 2025
Mazda 3 reliability and MOT pass rate
73.9% passed first time. The 26.1% fail rate is 3.5 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 10 years old with 73,262 miles.
Pass rate
73.9%
22.6% of all cars failed; 26.1% of these did.
Fixed on the day
5.3%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
73,262 mi
10 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 10,045 | 7.7% |
| 6-9 years | 27,779 | 19.5% |
| 10-13 years | 27,436 | 27.3% |
| 14+ years | 32,033 | 36.6% |
What the 3 fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Suspension1,154 dangerous54.9%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment76 dangerous27.5%
- Brakes4,248 dangerous26.5%
- Tyres6,273 dangerous23.5%
- Noise, emissions and leaks21 dangerous11.5%
- Visibility6 dangerous11.2%
- Body, chassis, structure234 dangerous7.8%
- Steering46 dangerous3.3%
Is the 3 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.8 points to 26.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 110,622 | 9 | 25.4% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 109,800 | 9 | 26.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 93,878 | 10 | 26.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 96,799 | 11 | 26.2% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 3 at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a 3 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken4,462 tests
- 2Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn4,382 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick2,955 tests
- 4Position lamp: not working2,774 tests
- 5Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2,254 tests
- 6Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction1,956 tests
- 7Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn1,521 tests
- 8Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively1,350 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 3 collects 3.09 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm15,466 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick11,556 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened10,609 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure10,253 tests
- 5Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened9,290 tests
- 6Suspension arm: corroded and seriously weakened6,250 tests
- 7Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn6,149 tests
- 8Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded5,110 tests
Questions
What is the Mazda 3 MOT pass rate?
73.9% of the 97,418 Mazda 3 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 26.1% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 5.3% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mazda 3 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 4,462 failed tests, followed by "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn" and "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick". By section, suspension appears in 54.9% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 27.5% of failures, brakes appears in 26.5% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 7.7%; at 14+ years it was 36.6%. The median Mazda 3 tested in 2025 was 10 years old with 73,262 miles.
Is the Mazda 3 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.8 points to 26.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every 3 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 7 safety recalls naming the Mazda 3: Mazda 3 recalls.
Other Mazda models
Checking a particular 3?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.