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Mazda 6 vs Mazda Mazda 3: reliability comparison

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

Mazda 6
75%
MOT pass rate · 159,403 vehicles
Mazda Mazda 3
74%
MOT pass rate · 13 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Mazda 6 (75%) and Mazda Mazda 3 (74%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Mazda 6 Mazda Mazda 3
MOT pass rate 75% ✓ 74%
MOT failure rate 25% ✓ 26%
Faults & advisories per test 1.9 ✓ 2.2
Dangerous-fault share 2% 1% ✓
Average mileage 113,866 mi 96,711 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 159,403 13

Most common faults

Mazda 6

  1. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  2. Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  3. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  4. Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)
  5. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  6. Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Mazda Mazda 3

  1. Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt
  2. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  3. Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))
  4. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  5. Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  6. Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate the Mazda 6 (75%) and Mazda Mazda 3 (74%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Mazda 6 report Full Mazda 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.