Does the Mazda 3 fail the MOT on lamps, reflectors and electrics more than it should?
The Mazda 3 records 18.54 lamps, reflectors and electrics failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 17.71 expected for a car of the same age mix: about as expected for its class and age (the difference is within its interval or under 0.5 items per 100 tests) (+0.83, 95% interval +0.72 to +0.93). It ranks 247 of 729 models on lamps, reflectors and electrics (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on lamps, reflectors and electrics · check a Mazda 3 by registration
What exactly fails on lamps, reflectors and electrics?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Mazda 3 is “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”, recorded 21,207 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | 21,207 | 3.21 |
| A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 20,856 | 3.16 |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 14,419 | 2.18 |
| Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective | 14,138 | 2.14 |
| Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 8,884 | 1.35 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 660,043 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Mazda 3 gets a lamps, reflectors and electrics advisory, how often does it fail next time?
33.2% of Mazda 3 MOTs with a lamps, reflectors and electrics advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 5,614 miles later (7,840 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 7,840 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
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