2005 Mazda 3 MOT pass rate: 59.0% (7,744 tests)

2005-registered Mazda 3s passed 59.0% of 7,744 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 5.5 points worse than same-age cars (64.5%). This is one of the lower-scoring 3 years after correcting for vehicle age — inspect the individual car carefully.

59.0%Pass rate, 2005 cars

94.5Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

7,744Tests analysed

102,678 miMedian mileage at test

59.0% / 56.7%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2005 3 getting worse?

Pass rate of 2005-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	59.1% -5.0 vs same-age
2024	59.2% -5.0 vs same-age
2025	58.4% -7.0 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2005 3

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	3,660	30.8%
2	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	3,101	26.1%
3	Brakes	1,085	9.1%
4	Body, chassis, structure	1,064	9.0%
5	Tyres	1,017	8.6%
6	Noise, emissions and leaks	746	6.3%

All 3 years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2004	2,257	58.6%	-5.7 pts	96,388
2005 (this page)	7,744	59.0%	-5.5 pts	102,678
2006	11,162	60.6%	-3.8 pts	103,732
2007	15,111	61.4%	-3.8 pts	101,863
2008	18,261	60.4%	-4.7 pts	97,981
2009	22,086	64.3%	-2.1 pts	98,248
2010	24,373	66.7%	-0.7 pts	96,826
2011	15,945	66.4%	-2.7 pts	90,221
2012	14,586	72.1%	+0.9 pts	86,556
2013	15,195	75.5%	+2.1 pts	75,570
2014	24,835	74.7%	-1.1 pts	72,514
2015	34,878	75.8%	-2.9 pts	67,232
2016	31,393	77.2%	-4.1 pts	58,044
2017	24,332	78.6%	-5.4 pts	48,620
2018	20,748	86.1%	-0.3 pts	39,441
2019	12,909	91.6%	+3.3 pts	31,248
2020	12,210	92.5%	+2.6 pts	25,514
2021	7,562	92.6%	+2.2 pts	24,456
2022	2,398	94.9%	+3.6 pts	22,732

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Mazda 3 years to avoid.

Buying a 2005 3? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2005 Mazda 3 reliable?

2005-registered examples passed 59.0% of their MOT tests (7,744 tests, 2023–2025), -5.5 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 21 years old with a median 102,678 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2005 3?

The median tested example shows 102,678 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.