1,023 tests in 2025
Mazda 323 reliability and MOT pass rate
66.3% passed first time. The 33.7% fail rate is 11.1 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 26 years old with 78,860 miles.
Pass rate
66.3%
22.6% of all cars failed; 33.7% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
78,860 mi
26 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 1,023 | 33.7% |
What the 323 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.
- Suspension17 dangerous52.2%
- Brakes51 dangerous36.2%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment30.1%
- Body, chassis, structure8 dangerous27.8%
- Noise, emissions and leaks19.7%
- Visibility15.1%
- Tyres47 dangerous13.3%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems10.1%
Is the 323 getting worse?
The fail rate fell 5.4 points to 33.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 4 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-3.7 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,183 | 22 | 39.1% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 1,704 | 23 | 36.6% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,187 | 24 | 36.7% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,020 | 26 | 33.7% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 323 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 323 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength91 tests
- 2Service brake performance: excessively binding30 tests
- 3Prescribed areas: prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced30 tests
- 4Service brake imbalance: across an axle27 tests
- 5Stop lamp: not working26 tests
- 6Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively26 tests
- 7Position lamp: not working26 tests
- 8Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt24 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 323 collects 3.8 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.
- 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine179 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm132 tests
- 3Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded130 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure127 tests
- 5Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened92 tests
- 6Registration plates: inscription illegible89 tests
- 7Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened87 tests
- 8Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength83 tests
Questions
What is the Mazda 323 MOT pass rate?
66.3% of the 1,023 Mazda 323 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 33.7% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mazda 323 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength", recorded on 91 failed tests, followed by "Service brake performance: excessively binding" and "Prescribed areas: prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced". By section, suspension appears in 52.2% of failures, brakes appears in 36.2% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 30.1% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 33.7%. The median Mazda 323 tested in 2025 was 26 years old with 78,860 miles.
Is the Mazda 323 getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 5.4 points to 33.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 4 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-3.7 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
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 323 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Mazda models
Checking a particular 323?
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.