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Mazda 3 vs Mazda 3 protege: reliability comparison

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

Mazda 3
78%
MOT pass rate · 164,058 vehicles
Mazda 3 protege
67%
MOT pass rate · 1 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Mazda 3 (78%) and Mazda 3 protege (67%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Mazda 3 Mazda 3 protege
MOT pass rate 78% ✓ 67%
MOT failure rate 22% ✓ 33%
Faults & advisories per test 2.0 1.8 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 3% 0% ✓
Average mileage 90,915 mi 71,451 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 164,058 1

Most common faults

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))

Mazda 3 protege

  1. Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)
  2. Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)
  3. Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)
  4. headlight lenes becoming diffused
  5. Offside brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)
  6. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate the Mazda 3 (78%) and Mazda 3 protege (67%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Mazda 3 report Full Mazda 3 protege 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.