Mazda
41,060 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where CX 3s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 9.7 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
87.2%
Pass-after-fix
2.6%
Fail
9.9%
Avg miles
44,539
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 41,050 tests
Pass rate climbs 3.8 points across the cohorts — newer CX 3 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
85.7%
Fail
11.5%
PRS
2.5%
Avg mileage at test
51,732 mi
Pass
89.5%
Fail
7.4%
PRS
2.8%
Avg mileage at test
33,567 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
The Mazda CX 3 is a petrol-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.
MOT data from 27,456 tests puts this car on an 87.7% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 37,826 miles. The most common fail item is defective wiper blade, followed by cracked or discoloured windscreen.
For used buyers, the CX 3's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.
ABI Insurance Group
Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
14–22
out of 50
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Wiper blade defective
658 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
550 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
544 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
532 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
517 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
449 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
416 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
371 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
299 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Seat belt retractor not functioning as intended
252 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£180–£445
If every one of this CX 3's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 3.8-point gap between bands means the year you buy Mazda CX 3 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
89.5%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 89.5% — a 3.8-point improvement. Tests in this band average 33,567 miles — roughly 18K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: blade defective, has a cut in excess of the… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
85.7%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 85.7% pass rate against a fleet average of 89.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated, fractured or broken, and less than 1.5 mm thick. Average mileage on test for this band is 51,732 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (89.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (85.7% pass). That's a 3.8-point spread across 24,812 older tests and 16,238 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Draper
Draper Drain Plug Key, 3/8 Square x 3/8 Sq. Dr.
£15.39
View at My Motor World →
Hycote
Hycote Mazda Silver Stone Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml
£6.59
View at My Motor World →
Autotek
Autotek Mazda Arctic White 300ml
£14.29
View at My Motor World →
Autotek
Autotek Mazda Brilliant Black 300ml
£14.29
View at My Motor World →
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
Book a mechanic at your door.
Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
Owner reports · Honest John
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
Failure of a/c on new Ma
Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 1 reports indexed
Recall history
The CX 3 has 5 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a CX 3 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
