Mazda 121 gxi vs Mazda 3: reliability comparison
MOT pass rates, common faults and mileage compared from real UK MOT data.
Mazda 121 gxi
60%
MOT pass rate · 361 vehicles
Mazda 3
78%
MOT pass rate · 164,058 vehicles
More reliable
Verdict: On MOT pass rate, the Mazda 3 is the more reliable of the two — 78% pass first time versus 60%. It's one signal among several; check the full breakdown below.
Head to head
| Measure | Mazda 121 gxi | Mazda 3 |
|---|---|---|
| MOT pass rate | 60% | 78% ✓ |
| MOT failure rate | 40% | 22% ✓ |
| Faults & advisories per test | 2.8 | 2.0 ✓ |
| Dangerous-fault share | 0% ✓ | 3% |
| Average mileage | 87,911 mi | 90,915 mi |
| Sample size (vehicles) | 361 | 164,058 |
Most common faults
Mazda 121 gxi
- Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)
- Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)
- Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)
- Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)
- Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)
- Nearside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)
Mazda 3
- Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
- Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
- Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
- Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))
- Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
- Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))
Reliability FAQ
On MOT pass rate, the Mazda 3 is the more reliable of the two — 78% pass first time versus 60%. It's one signal among several; check the full breakdown below.
Full Mazda 121 gxi report Full Mazda 3 report Most reliable cars
Pass rates are computed over completed (pass/fail) MOT tests. Reliability also depends on age, mileage and upkeep — see each model's page for the full picture.