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Mazda 3 vs Mazda Mini bus: 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 Mini bus
74%
MOT pass rate · 2 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Mazda 3 (78%) and Mazda Mini bus (74%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Mazda 3 Mazda Mini bus
MOT pass rate 78% ✓ 74%
MOT failure rate 22% ✓ 26%
Faults & advisories per test 2.0 ✓ 3.1
Dangerous-fault share 3% 0% ✓
Average mileage 90,915 mi 158,886 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 164,058 2

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 Mini bus

  1. Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))
  2. Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)
  3. Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  4. Centre Exhaust flex deteriorated
  5. Nearside Front Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)
  6. exhaust has a miner leak

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate the Mazda 3 (78%) and Mazda Mini bus (74%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Mazda 3 report Full Mazda Mini bus 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.