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Mazda 3, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

108,311 Mazda 3s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 68.8% of initial MOT tests, 3.5 points below the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific Mazda 3? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Mazda 3 at the MOT

68.8% of 104,881 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Mazda 3 370th of 575 models. Mazda 3s aged 3 to 5 years passed 88.2% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 57.6%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Mazda 368.8%
  • All Mazda modelsThe Mazda 3 is 3.9 pts behind72.7%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Mazda 3 tests in 2025.

  • 3 to 5 years12,529 tests88.2%
  • 6 to 10 years42,957 tests74.2%
  • 11 years and over47,300 tests57.6%

Where Mazda 3s fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Mazda 3 tests in 2025.

  • Suspension28.8%
  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment23.9%
  • Brakes15.5%
  • Tyres11.9%
  • Visibility6.9%

The items testers recorded most often were ball joint excessively worn (7.2%), coil spring fractured or broken (7.1%) and position lamp not working (6.5%).

The MOT page lists every common Mazda 3 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Mazda 3 MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The Mazda 3's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.28.8% of Mazda 3 failure items

  2. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

    Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.23.9% of Mazda 3 failure items

  3. Brakes

    Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.15.5% of Mazda 3 failure items

Mazda 3s in the UK

108,311 were licensed at the end of June 2026, the 2nd most of any Mazda. The number licensed has grown 4.4% since the end of 2014, although it peaked at 126,634 at the end of 2018.

Change since 2014
+4.4%from 103,765 licensed
Typical year of first use
2015half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2015 or earlier
First registered in 2025
3,841against 12,603 in 2015
Declared off the road
5,9565.2% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Mazda 3s since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 2014103,765
End of 2015113,926
End of 2016121,665
End of 2017125,574
End of 2018126,634
End of 2019124,741
End of 2020122,352
End of 2021120,659
End of 2022117,919
End of 2023115,220
End of 2024111,726
End of 2025109,397
End of June 2026108,311

How old they are

Licensed Mazda 3s by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year

A further 2,063 were first used before 2006.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
20253,6103,841
20242,5312,619
20233,0713,174
20222,4072,561
20213,9704,182
20204,1914,361
20194,3584,561
20186,9827,272
20178,0918,529
201610,29911,239
201511,27912,603
20148,023
20134,919
20124,587
20114,865
20107,116
20096,108
20084,667
20073,601
20062,459

11,279 Mazda 3s first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 89% of the 12,603 first registered that year.

Mazda 3 engines and fuel

2.0 litre engines made up 54% of Mazda 3 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.6 litre at 35%. Petrol accounts for 89% of licensed Mazda 3s and diesel for 11%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 104,867 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 2.0 litre54.4%
  • 1.6 litre35.2%
  • 2.2 litre6.9%
  • 1.5 litre1.9%

Fuel type, licensed Mazda 3s

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol96,32789%
Diesel11,97211%
Hybrid electric2<0.1%
Gas10<0.1%

Mazda 3 recalls

20 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Mazda 3. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Mazda 3 is affected.

  1. Nov 2023 R/2023/312

    On affected vehicles the images from the rear view / 360 cameras may not display

    Mazda 3s built Apr 2023 to Aug 2023 · 1,135 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Re-program the View Monitor Control (VMC) module with improved software.

  2. Jan 2022 R/2021/435

    Low pressure fuel pump impeller might become deformed

    Mazda 3s built Apr 2018 to Jan 2019 · 26,974 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The impeller in the low-pressure fuel pump may become deformed causing fuel pump failure.
    Remedy
    Replace the low-pressure fuel pump with an improved part.

  3. Aug 2021 R/2021/273

    The plastic logo on the steering wheel centre may shatter and project fragments into the vehicle interior during an air bag deployment

    Mazda 3s built May 2020 to Nov 2020 · 36,741 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    The airbag module cover is to be replaced with an improved part.

  4. Jan 2020 R/2020/010

    The engine may stall or fail to restart in some driving situations

    Mazda 3s built Nov 2018 to Sep 2019 · 3,047 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    PCM is reprogrammed with modified software

  5. Jan 2020 R/2020/009

    Vehicles may unexpectedly stop due to inadvertent activation of the automated smart brake support (SBS) system

    Mazda 3s built Nov 2018 to Oct 2019 · 7,604 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    The vehicle control module is reprogrammed with modified software.

  6. Oct 2019 R/2019/358

    The software controlling the air / fuel ratio contains an error

    Mazda 3s built Jun 2019 to Oct 2019 · 453 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Software controlling the engine air / fuel ratio contains an error.
    Remedy
    Reprogram the PCM with modified software.

  7. Sep 2019 R/2019/266

    The interior rear view mirror glass could detach from the mirror assembly

    Mazda 3s built Dec 2018 to Mar 2019 · 125 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The interior rear view mirror glass could suddenly detach from the mirror assembly.
    Remedy
    Replace interior mirror with alternative part.

  8. Jul 2019 R/2019/220

    Air bag and seat belt minder indicator unit may display incorrect information

    Mazda 3s built Nov 2018 to Mar 2019 · 568 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The airbag and seat belt minder indicator unit may display incorrect information
    Remedy
    Replace the indicator unit assembly with one incorporating improved software
How to check a specific Mazda 3 for recalls

Other Mazda models

The most-tested Mazda models in 2025, against the Mazda 3's 68.8% MOT pass rate.

All 11 Mazda models

Mazda 3 FAQs

How many Mazda 3s are there in the UK?

108,311 Mazda 3s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 5,956 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Mazda 3 reliable?

MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 68.8% first-time pass rate for the Mazda 3 across 104,881 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Mazda 3 had any recalls?

20 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Mazda 3. The most recent was published in November 2023. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

What should I check before buying a used Mazda 3?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: suspension, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and brakes. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

How do I check a Mazda 3's history?

Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.

Already found a Mazda 3?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Mazda history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Mazda VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.