Mazda 3 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Mazda 3 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Mazda 3 passed on its first attempt in 95.2%, and its overall record sits +14.4 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Mazda 3 in the 2023–2025 data: 218 tests across 2 model years (2020–2021). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Mazda 3 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Mazda 3, the Visibility section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Mazda 3's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Mazda 3 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Mazda 3, each with how many of the model's 218 tests it was noted on.

• "Wipers blade defective" (Minor) — noted on about 7 Mazda 3 tests, 3.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" (Major) — noted on about 5 Mazda 3 tests, 2.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Major) — noted on about 3 Mazda 3 tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp aim too high" (Major) — noted on about 2 Mazda 3 tests, 0.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (Major) — noted on about 2 Mazda 3 tests, 0.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" (Major) — noted on about 1 Mazda 3 tests, 0.5% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Mazda 3 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Mazda 3 model year on record is 2020 (100.0% across 51 tests), and the weakest is 2021 (94.0%). The gap between them is 6.0 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Mazda 3 Owners

These checks follow this Mazda 3's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Mazda 3.

• the wipers and washers — “wipers blade defective”

  Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.

• the lights — “headlamp aim too high”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Mazda 3. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Mazda 3 MOT & Reliability