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Mazda 3 vs Mazda Atenza: 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 Atenza
70%
MOT pass rate · 15 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Mazda 3 (78%) and Mazda Atenza (70%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Mazda 3 Mazda Atenza
MOT pass rate 78% ✓ 70%
MOT failure rate 22% ✓ 30%
Faults & advisories per test 2.0 1.9 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 3% ✓ 4%
Average mileage 90,915 mi 123,038 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 164,058 15

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 Atenza

  1. Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))
  2. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  3. Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  4. Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))
  5. Nearside Rear Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt
  6. Nearside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate the Mazda 3 (78%) and Mazda Atenza (70%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Mazda 3 report Full Mazda Atenza 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.