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Mazda 3 vs Mazda Mx-5: 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 Mx-5
77%
MOT pass rate · 162,634 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Mazda 3 (78%) and Mazda Mx-5 (77%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Mazda 3 Mazda Mx-5
MOT pass rate 78% ✓ 77%
MOT failure rate 22% ✓ 23%
Faults & advisories per test 2.0 1.8 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 3% 1% ✓
Average mileage 90,915 mi 90,085 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 164,058 162,634

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 Mx-5

  1. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  2. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  3. Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)
  4. Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)
  5. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  6. Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate the Mazda 3 (78%) and Mazda Mx-5 (77%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Mazda 3 report Full Mazda Mx-5 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.