23,305 tests in 2025
Mazda Cx-3 reliability and MOT pass rate
86.6% passed first time. The 13.4% fail rate is 9.2 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 7 years old with 46,784 miles.
Pass rate
86.6%
22.6% of all cars failed; 13.4% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.2%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
46,784 mi
7 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 24 | — |
| 6-9 years | 21,110 | 12.4% |
| 10-13 years | 2,171 | 23.8% |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the Cx-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.
- Tyres845 dangerous31.3%
- Suspension76 dangerous28%
- Brakes512 dangerous26.6%
- Visibility14.4%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems13.1%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment2 dangerous8.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks2 dangerous3.8%
- Body, chassis, structure5 dangerous1.6%
Is the Cx-3 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 5.8 points to 13.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (5.5 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 25,174 | 4 | 7.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 24,974 | 5 | 10.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 21,057 | 6 | 11.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 22,868 | 7 | 13.6% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Cx-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 Cx-3 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken450 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick405 tests
- 3Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords342 tests
- 4Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively294 tests
- 5Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm279 tests
- 6Condition: retracting mechanism defective240 tests
- 7Condition: not functioning as intended147 tests
- 8Condition: has ply or cords exposed138 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Cx-3 collects 2.32 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 1.6mm2,924 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick2,549 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure2,495 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened2,362 tests
- 5Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded978 tests
- 6Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn734 tests
- 7Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt500 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre488 tests
Questions
What is the Mazda Cx-3 MOT pass rate?
86.6% of the 23,305 Mazda Cx-3 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 13.4% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.2% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mazda Cx-3 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 450 failed tests, followed by "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick" and "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords". By section, tyres appears in 31.3% of failures, suspension appears in 28% of failures, brakes appears in 26.6% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 4.2%; at 10-13 years it was 23.8%. The median Mazda Cx-3 tested in 2025 was 7 years old with 46,784 miles.
Is the Mazda Cx-3 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 5.8 points to 13.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (5.5 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 Cx-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 5 safety recalls naming the Mazda Cx-3: Mazda Cx-3 recalls.
Other Mazda models
Checking a particular Cx-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.