Mazda Cx-3 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Mazda Cx-3 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Mazda Cx-3 passed on its first attempt in 88.3%, and its overall record sits +8.5 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Mazda Cx-3 in the 2023–2025 data: 82,585 tests across 5 model years (2015–2019). 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 Cx-3 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Mazda Cx-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 Cx-3's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Mazda Cx-3 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Mazda Cx-3, each with how many of the model's 82,585 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 1,498 Mazda Cx-3 tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Major) — noted on about 1,479 Mazda Cx-3 tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers blade defective" (Minor) — noted on about 1,377 Mazda Cx-3 tests, 1.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 1,092 Mazda Cx-3 tests, 1.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 1,013 Mazda Cx-3 tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 1,008 Mazda Cx-3 tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Mazda Cx-3 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Mazda Cx-3 model year on record is 2019 (93.1% across 23,708 tests), and the weakest is 2015 (83.8%). The gap between them is 9.3 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Mazda Cx-3 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 2.6 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Mazda Cx-3 Owners

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

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

• the wipers and washers — “wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively”

  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 coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”

  Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.

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

Where the Mazda Cx-3 is most common

Across every Cx-3 model year on record (2015–2019): 35,389 Mazda Cx-3 cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 82,585 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 883 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.

The twenty areas with the most Mazda Cx-3 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 →

Frequently Asked Questions: Mazda Cx-3 MOT & Reliability