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Mazda 2 centre-line vs Mazda 3: reliability comparison

MOT pass rates, common faults and mileage compared from real UK MOT data.

Mazda 2 centre-line
87%
MOT pass rate · 1,122 vehicles
Mazda 3
78%
MOT pass rate · 164,058 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Mazda 2 centre-line (87%) and Mazda 3 (78%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Mazda 2 centre-line Mazda 3
MOT pass rate 87% ✓ 78%
MOT failure rate 13% ✓ 22%
Faults & advisories per test 0.5 ✓ 2.0
Dangerous-fault share 17% 3% ✓
Average mileage 17,378 mi 90,915 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 1,122 164,058

Most common faults

Mazda 2 centre-line

  1. Nearside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened worn slightly (1.1.14 (a) (ii))
  2. Offside Front Brake disc worn, but not excessively worn slightly (1.1.14 (a) (i))
  3. Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e))
  4. Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both sides (1.1.14 (a) (ii))
  5. Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii))
  6. Headlamp aim too high both (4.1.2 (a))

Mazda 3

  1. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  2. Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  3. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  4. Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))
  5. Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  6. Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate the Mazda 2 centre-line (87%) and Mazda 3 (78%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Mazda 2 centre-line 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.