Pass rate
68.7%
Below average — 3.9 pts behind the 72.6% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 878 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £58–£147
2003 Mazda 323 MOT pass rate
- 2003
- typical 70,549 mi
Check your postcode
Most common fault
Suspension
27.7% of faults · 21.0% nationally
mostly worn arm bushes, split ball-joint boots and broken coil springs.
Which year to buy
- Best 2001 71.5% pass
- Avoid 2003 68.7% pass · this year
Across the 4 years on record, a spread of 2.8 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 59.7%
- Typical mileage
- 71k mi
The 2003 Mazda 323 MOT pass rate is 68.7% of its MOT tests — 3.9 points behind what its age and mileage predict. Suspension is the biggest single reason it fails, at 27.7% of what testers record.
Expert verdict
Suspension: 1.3× the national share
Suspension accounts for 27.7% of everything recorded on the 2003 Mazda 323, against 21.0% nationally — 6.7 points above. Ask for the front and rear suspension to be checked on a ramp before you buy — worn bushes and broken springs are cheap to look at and expensive to discover at test time.
- Falls short of its own age and mileage. Like-for-like, cars this age and mileage expect about 72.6%; this one manages 68.7% — 3.9 points below. Age is a fair excuse; this is not age.
- When it fails, it costs. Only 31% of this model’s typical repairs come in under £30 in parts — the failures here tend to be the kind that need a garage rather than a bulb.
Written from this page's own figures: fault shares against the national composition, the like-for-like pass rate, and the priced repair list. How these are worked out
Watching a Mazda 323? Get an email when these numbers change .
How does the 2003 Mazda 323 compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 72.6%, so this figure is 3.9 points behind what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 59.7%. The median 2003 Mazda 323 in this dataset had covered 70,549 mi.
The most common fuel recorded here is Petrol — 96% of tests, with a 69.2% pass rate. Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 69.7% of the time, April–September 67.1%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength", noted on 10.48% of tests.
- 878 recorded tests behind this page.
- 68.7% overall pass rate, 59.7% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the Mazda 323, the average is 70.3% — best year 2001 (71.5%), worst 2003 (68.7%).
Figures count every completed test on this vehicle-year in the dataset, including retests. See methodology for the exact definition.
This page's data
- Tests analysed
- 878
- Typical mileage (median)
- 70,549 mi
- Make and model
- Mazda 323
- Updated
- 2026-11-07
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Corrosion Welding Repair
Typically a garage job — get quotes before committing.
Does mileage affect the 323 MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 56% so small gaps stay visible.
Fuel type and reliability
Pass rate by fuel type. Petrol is the most common here (96% of tests).
Where the Mazda 323 is most common
Across all 323 model years on record (2000–2003): 1,019 Mazda 323 cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 2,581 tests. Portsmouth (PO) has the most, with 39 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.
| # | Postcode area | Cars | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portsmouth (PO) | 39 | 67.2% |
| 2 | Poole (BH) | 38 | 68.0% |
| 3 | Brighton (BN) | 29 | 65.1% |
| 4 | Southampton (SO) | 27 | 66.7% |
| 5 | Guildford (GU) | 27 | 68.1% |
| 6 | Leicester (LE) | 26 | 87.5% |
| 7 | Hounslow (TW) | 23 | 75.0% |
| 8 | Ashford (TN) | 22 | 71.4% |
| 9 | Croydon (CR) | 21 | 74.5% |
| 10 | Coventry (CV) | 21 | 62.2% |
| 11 | Bristol (BS) | 20 | 58.7% |
| 12 | Birmingham (B) | 20 | 76.2% |
| 13 | Basildon (SS) | 19 | 87.5% |
| 14 | London (E) | 18 | 82.2% |
| 15 | High Wycombe (HP) | 18 | 70.0% |
| 16 | Peterborough (PE) | 17 | 67.4% |
| 17 | Kingston upon Thames (KT) | 17 | 71.8% |
| 18 | Newton Abbot (TQ) | 16 | 60.8% |
| 19 | Crawley (RH) | 16 | 77.4% |
| 20 | Exeter (EX) | 15 | 61.1% |
The twenty areas with the most Mazda 323 cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →
Regional pass rates for the 323
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 289 | 66.8% |
| South West | 169 | 63.3% |
| East of England | 114 | 73.7% |
| London | 91 | 81.3% |
| West Midlands | 85 | 65.9% |
| East Midlands | 45 | 75.6% |
| North West | 37 | 67.6% |
| Wales | 21 | 52.4% |
| Yorkshire | 16 | 75.0% |
Regions come from the postcode area recorded at the test station. Areas on region borders are assigned to the region with the majority of their population.
What fails a 2003 323
Everything a tester recorded on this vehicle, grouped into the inspection sections that produced it. The notch on each bar is the national share, so you can see at a glance whether this car is unusual or just ordinary.
A test can record several items, so these percentages do not add up to 100%. The exact strings, with prices, are in the full DVSA record at the bottom of this page.
Before your test
Three checks worth doing on a 2003 323
These are not generic tips — they are the faults recorded most often on this exact model, rewritten as things you can check yourself. All three take about ten minutes and cost nothing.
-
Check corrosion 10.5% of tests
“component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength”
Look under the sills, around the jacking points and where the suspension mounts meet the body. Flaking, holed or crumbly metal fails; a brown stain on sound metal does not.
-
Check the suspension joints 6.2% of tests
“ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated”
With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.
-
Check the lights 4.2% of tests
“headlamp lens slightly defective”
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.
Shares are the proportion of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item, so they overlap: one test can record several.
What it costs to get a 2003 323 through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £58–£147 — and 31% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £58–£147
- Cheapest common item: malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or…
- £3–£12
- Dearest common item: component mounting prescribed areas…
- £180–£450
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 70%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 31%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 878 MOT tests on this vehicle. They exclude diagnostics, retest fees and garage labour where the part is a DIY fit, and they are not figures from the DVSA dataset. Older and higher-mileage examples cost more than the average. How these estimates are built → · All MOT repair costs → · Cheapest cars to put through a test →
Every year of the 323, side by side
4 model years on record, from 2000 to 2003. Across them the pass rate runs from 68.7% to 71.5% — a spread of 2.8 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2000 71.1% component mounting prescribed…
- 2001 71.5% component mounting prescribed…
- 2002 70.7% component mounting prescribed…
- 2003 68.7%component mounting prescribed…
Colour is the pass rate on a fixed scale, so a block means the same thing on any model. Each year links to its own page with the full fault breakdown.
Compare the 2003 Mazda 323 with another year
The raw pass rate mostly measures age. The year comparison adds the like-for-like figure, the mileage bands and the repair bill.
Other 2003 cars with a similar record
- Renault Clio 68.7%
- Peugeot 307 68.7%
- Fiat Punto 68.7%
- Nissan X-Trail 68.9%
- Vauxhall Corsa 68.4%
- Citroen Xsara 68.4%
Closest pass rates among 2003 cars with at least 2,000 tests, so a small sample cannot flatter itself into the list. See the full rankings: best and worst MOT pass rates.
The full DVSA record for the 2003 Mazda 323 10 failure items · 6 advisories · 10 inspection categories · mileage brackets · all of it in the page, none of it above the fold
Every inspection category
Shares of the 2,606 individual items recorded on this vehicle, and the same share across all cars nationally. A single test can record several items, so a row is not a percentage of tests.
| Category | Items | This car | Nationally | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 736 | 27.70% | 20.98% | +6.72 |
| Brakes | 512 | 19.20% | 20.89% | −1.69 |
| Tyres | 318 | 12.00% | 19.76% | −7.76 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 283 | 10.60% | 12.21% | −1.61 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 265 | 10.00% | 5.57% | +4.43 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 199 | 7.50% | 5.52% | +1.98 |
| Visibility | 100 | 3.80% | 4.97% | −1.17 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 72 | 2.70% | 1.76% | +0.94 |
| Non-component advisories | 65 | 2.40% | 4.18% | −1.78 |
| Steering | 56 | 2.10% | 2.57% | −0.47 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Suspension | Major | 10.5% | £180–450 |
| Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated Suspension | Minor | 6.2% | £18–45 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated Suspension | Minor | 4.7% | £18–45 |
| Headlamp lens slightly defective Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 4.2% | £5–25 |
| Service brake performance excessively binding Brakes | Major | 4.1% | £60–150 |
| Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt Steering | Minor | 4.0% | £18–45 |
| Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 3.9% | £5–20 |
| Position lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 3.4% | £5–25 |
| Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view Visibility | Minor | 3.3% | £80–200 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 3.2% | £3–12 |
Severity is as recorded: Major and Dangerous fail the test outright; Minor and Advisory do not. Costs are estimates from typical UK parts prices — see how they are built.
What testers noted without failing the car
Advisories are the early warnings — the same parts a year or two before they fail. Reading them is how you tell a car that has been maintained from one that has been patched.
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 17.5% | £45–95 |
| Engine oil leaks leaking excessively from engine Noise, emissions and leaks | Advisory | 17.2% | £200–700 |
| Brake discs in such a condition that it is seriously weakened Brakes | Advisory | 11.4% | £45–110 |
| Has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | Advisory | 11.3% | £45–95 |
| Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Suspension | Advisory | 10.5% | £180–450 |
| Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | Advisory | 10.0% | £40–150 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 39 | 89.7% | 24,847 mi |
| 30-60k | 247 | 69.6% | 48,625 mi |
| 60-90k | 347 | 67.1% | 73,322 mi |
| 90-120k | 201 | 64.7% | 102,233 mi |
| 120k+ | 43 | 76.7% | 139,488 mi |
Source: 878 recorded tests on this vehicle-year. Every row above is recomputed from the same DVSA extract as the rest of the page — see the methodology.
2003 323 MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2003 Mazda 323?
68.7% of the 878 2003 Mazda 323 tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 72.6% for cars first used in 2003. First-attempt pass rate: 59.7%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2003 Mazda 323?
The three most recorded items are component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (10.48%), ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (6.15%), linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (4.67%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2003 Mazda 323 MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 89.7% of the time, falling to 76.7% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2003 Mazda 323 in this dataset had covered 70,549 mi.
Which fuel type is most reliable for a 2003 Mazda 323?
Petrol: 69.2% pass rate across 841 tests. Diesel: 56.8% pass rate across 37 tests. Shares are of the tests on this vehicle that recorded each fuel type.
Does the season affect the 2003 Mazda 323 MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 69.7% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 67.1%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.