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Mazda Mx-3 v vs Mazda Mx-5: reliability comparison

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

Mazda Mx-3 v
57%
MOT pass rate · 29 vehicles
Mazda Mx-5
77%
MOT pass rate · 162,634 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Mazda Mx-3 v (57%) 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 Mx-3 v Mazda Mx-5
MOT pass rate 57% 77% ✓
MOT failure rate 43% 23% ✓
Faults & advisories per test 3.1 1.8 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 0% ✓ 1%
Average mileage 111,729 mi 90,085 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 29 162,634

Most common faults

Mazda Mx-3 v

  1. Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)
  2. Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)
  3. Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)
  4. Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)
  5. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  6. Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

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 Mx-3 v (57%) and Mazda Mx-5 (77%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Mazda Mx-3 v 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.