2025 MOT results
Mazda CX-3 common problems
The most common reason a Mazda CX-3 fails its MOT is wiper blades that do not clear the screen, on 12.6% of its 4,178 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, one fault stands out: wiper blades that do not clear the screen at 12.6% of failures against 7.4% expected.
- Tests in 2025 25,302 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 16.5% 4,178 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 4.7% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 42.5% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Mazda CX-3 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Mazda CX-3 tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (10 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 12.6% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 11.8% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 10.8% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 8.9% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 7.6% |
| Seat belts: retracting mechanism defective Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 6.3% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 5.4% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.1% |
| Seat belts: not functioning as intended Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 3.7% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 3.6% |
| Tyres: tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 2.8% |
| Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn Brakes | 2.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
12.6% of failures 7.4% expected 1.7 times as often
Wiper blades that leave the windscreen smeared or streaked across the area the driver looks through.
Look for split or hardened rubber, and lift each blade to see whether it still sits flat.
-
Broken coil spring
11.8% of failures 7.9% expected 1.5 times as often
A broken suspension spring, which usually snaps in the bottom coil and often fails on both sides within a year.
Look at each corner for a sagging ride height, and listen for a knock over speed bumps.
-
Worn brake pads
10.8% of failures 9.2% expected somewhat more often
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
-
Cut tyre
8.9% of failures 6.9% expected somewhat more often
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
7.6% of failures 9.8% expected somewhat less often
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Faulty seat belt
6.3% of failures
A seat belt that is damaged, frayed, slow to retract, or will not lock as it should.
Pull each belt out fully, look along the webbing, and check it latches and releases cleanly.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a Mazda CX-3, on 26.5% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is seat belts and supplementary restraint systems, on 10.8% against 2.0% expected.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 26.5% |
| Suspension | 23.0% |
| Brakes | 22.2% |
| Visibility | 20.0% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 15.7% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 10.8% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.6% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 1.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
42.5% of Mazda CX-3 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Mazda CX-3s, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 14.0% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 10.9% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 10.6% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 10.1% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 4.1% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 3.1% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 2.2% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 2.1% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 1.6% |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 1.1% |
| Items removed from driver's view prior to test Non-component advisories | 0.8% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 0.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Mazda CX-3 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Mazda CX-3?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively” is the most common: it appears on 12.6% of failed Mazda CX-3 tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 26.5% of failed tests.
How often does a Mazda CX-3 fail its MOT?
16.5% of Mazda CX-3 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 25,302 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 59 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Mazda CX-3 than on other cars?
Yes. “Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively” appears on 12.6% of its failures against 7.4% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Mazda CX-3 aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 25,302 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.