Car statistics by year

2005 Mazda 3

Mazda 3 cars first registered in 2005: how they did at their 2025 MOT, what failed them, how far they have been driven and how many are still on the road. Compared with every car first registered in 2005, so like is set against like.

A year of the Mazda 3. “2005” is the year of first registration.

Last updated
Records analysed
1,935 MOT tests of 2005 Mazda 3 cars
Methodology
View methodology
  • MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 48.0% All 2005 cars 57.7%
  • Typical mileage at the MOT 102,900 miles; all 2005 cars 103,800
  • Left at the end of 2025 2,456 18.4% of the 13,330 at the end of 2014
  • Tests finding a dangerous defect 13.2% All 2005 cars 9.9%
  • Tests with an advisory 78.2% All 2005 cars 70.3%
  • MOT tests in 2025 1,935 normal tests in Great Britain

How do 2005 Mazda 3s do at their MOT?

In 2025, at about 20 years old, 48.0% of 2005 Mazda 3 MOT tests were passed first time, against 57.7% for all cars first registered in 2005. 2005 Mazda 3s did worse than average for their age, by 9.7 points. A year earlier the same cars passed 48.4% of the time (all 2005 cars 56.6%).

MOT pass rate by year of first registration: Mazda 3 vs all cars

Each pair of bars is one year of first registration, tested in 2025. Older cars pass less often, so compare each Mazda 3 bar with the all-cars bar beside it.

MOT first-time pass rate in 2025 by year of first registration, Mazda 3 compared with all cars
First registered Mazda 3All cars
’04 52.5%57.9%
’05 48.0%57.7%
’06 51.0%56.9%
’07 51.9%57.3%
’08 50.7%57.0%
’09 56.4%58.2%
’10 57.8%59.3%
’11 56.4%61.5%
’12 63.2%63.6%
’13 68.3%66.0%
’14 70.3%69.1%
’15 70.1%72.6%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT failures on the 2005 Mazda 3

Position lamp: not working was the most common single reason a 2005 Mazda 3 failed, on 19.4% of about 1,000 failed tests. By area of the car, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment failed most often (56.0% of failed tests; all 2005 cars 49.6%). 13.2% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 9.9% for all cars first registered in 2005. A failed test can have several defects, so shares add up to more than 100%.

Most common reasons for failure

Share of failed tests with each defect. The same fault on any wheel or side counts once.

Most common specific MOT defects on failed 2005 Mazda 3 tests, 2025
Defect Share of failed tests
Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 19.4%
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks 15.8%
Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 12.9%
Component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Suspension 11.3%
Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres 11.2%
Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 10.4%
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 10.0%
Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension 8.8%
Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension 7.5%
Linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension 6.8%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Failure categories: Mazda 3 vs all 2005 cars

The marker shows the share for all cars first registered the same year.

Share of failed 2005 Mazda 3 MOT tests with a defect in each category, with all 2005 cars for comparison
Category Share of failed tests
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 56.0%
Suspension 45.4%
Tyres 21.6%
Noise, emissions and leaks 19.1%
Brakes 17.9%
Body, chassis, structure 17.1%
Visibility 12.0%
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems 8.7%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT advisories on the 2005 Mazda 3

An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 78.2% of 2005 Mazda 3 tests had at least one (all 2005 cars 70.3%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.

Most common advisories

Most common MOT advisories on 2005 Mazda 3 tests, 2025
Advisory Share of tests
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres 24.5%
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension 19.5%
Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension 13.8%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes 13.1%
Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes 12.2%
Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres 12.1%
Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks 11.1%
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle 8.9%
Linkage ball joint has slight play Suspension 8.7%
Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension 8.7%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

What mileage is normal for a 2005 Mazda 3?

Half of the 2005 Mazda 3s tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 102,900 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 80,800 and a quarter more than 128,600. For all cars first registered in 2005, the middle figure was 103,800 miles, so 2005 Mazda 3s have been driven about as far as average.

Mileage at the 2025 MOT

Odometer readings at each car’s latest MOT of the year. The bar covers the middle half of cars; the line the middle 80%.

Odometer readings at the 2025 MOT, 2005 Mazda 3 and all 2005 cars, by percentile
10% 25% Median 75% 90% Cars
2005 Mazda 3 60,700 80,800 102,900 128,600 150,300 1,851
All 2005 cars 53,000 75,300 103,800 136,000 168,500 411,156
miles

Half of the 2005 Mazda 3s tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 102,900 miles.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

How many 2005 Mazda 3s are left?

At the end of 2014, 13,330 2005 Mazda 3s were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom (these counts start in 2014). By the end of 2025, 2,456 were: 1,608 licensed and 848 declared off the road (SORN). That is 18.4% still on the record, against 29.5% for all cars first registered in 2005.

Share still on the record since 2014

Cars licensed or SORN at each year end, as a share of the number at the end of 2014. Cars scrapped or exported leave the record. Late registrations and imports can push the share above 100%.

2005 Mazda 3s on the DVLA record at each year end as a share of the number at the end of 2014, compared with all 2005 cars
Year end 2005 Mazda 3All 2005 cars
2014 100.0%100.0%
2015 96.6%95.9%
2016 91.9%91.2%
2017 83.9%83.5%
2018 72.6%74.6%
2019 60.7%65.8%
2020 50.6%58.1%
2021 40.0%50.0%
2022 32.8%44.0%
2023 27.5%38.7%
2024 22.4%33.6%
2025 18.4%29.5%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2025 Updated

Recalls that may affect cars built around 2005

None of the Mazda 3’s 24 recalls in DVSA’s records has build dates that include 2005.

The 2005 on this page is the year of first registration, not the year the car was built. A car first registered early in 2005 may have been built in 2004, and recalls apply to particular build dates and VINs, so check the recalls either side too.

Every Mazda 3 recall · Check a specific car on GOV.UK · How we match recalls

Recall details come from manufacturers through DVSA. “Vehicles” is the number the manufacturer reported; “all models” means the figure covers everything in the recall. A recall listed here may not apply to a particular car: only the manufacturer or GOV.UK can say for its VIN.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated

Other years of the Mazda 3

19 years of the Mazda 3, by year of first registration, have their own page with MOT results, common faults, mileage and how many are left. Against all cars of the same age, the 2019 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (87.5% passed first time) and the 2005 cars worst (48.0%).

Mazda 3s by year of first registration
Year Registered Left Pass rate All cars
2004 971 52.5% 57.9%
2005 2,456 48.0% 57.7%
2006 3,208 51.0% 56.9%
2007 4,304 51.9% 57.3%
2008 5,264 50.7% 57.0%
2009 6,720 56.4% 58.2%
2010 7,595 57.8% 59.3%
2011 5,106 56.4% 61.5%
2012 4,747 63.2% 63.6%
2013 5,025 68.3% 66.0%
2014 9,070 8,191 70.3% 69.1%
2015 12,360 11,465 70.1% 72.6%
2016 10,948 10,410 73.0% 75.6%
2017 8,321 8,162 74.0% 79.1%
2018 7,149 7,020 82.7% 81.8%
2019 4,388 4,384 87.5% 84.4%
2020 4,258 4,213 87.2% 86.9%
2021 4,113 3,992 89.2% 88.4%
2022 2,525 2,414 92.0% 89.4%

Registered: cars on the DVLA record at the end of the year they were first registered (these counts start in 2014, so older years show a dash). Left: licensed or declared SORN at the end of 2025. Both cover the United Kingdom. Pass rate: first-time passes at normal MOT tests in Great Britain in 2025; all cars: every car first registered the same year.

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
MOT results and mileage Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Derived statistics UK Motoring
2025 1,935 MOT tests of 2005 Mazda 3 cars 15 September 2026
Cars on the record Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of 2025 2,456 cars still on the record (licensed or SORN) 15 September 2026
  • MOT figures cover normal tests in Great Britain in 2025 of Mazda 3 cars first registered in 2005; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 2005.
  • Year of first registration is DVSA’s first-use date: when the car was first registered, in the UK or abroad.
  • Defects and advisories are DVSA’s descriptions made readable. Where on the car a defect was found (side, front or rear) is ignored, so the same fault on any wheel counts once per test.
  • Mileage is the odometer reading at each car’s latest normal MOT of the year, as recorded by the tester. A few readings are in kilometres or mistyped; percentiles are not thrown by a handful of outliers.
  • Cars on the record come from DfT table VEH0124 and cover the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland; MOT figures cover Great Britain only.
  • DVSA records the model name typed in at the test. We match those names to DVLA’s generic models, so a handful of tests may be counted under a close relative.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.