Does the Mazda 3 fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Mazda 3 records 0.98 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 2.81 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−1.83, 95% interval −1.87 to −1.79). It ranks 460 of 640 models on steering (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on steering · check a Mazda 3 by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Mazda 3 is “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated”, recorded 2,436 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 2,436 | 0.37 |
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 1,484 | 0.22 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 1,150 | 0.17 |
| Power steering fluid level below minimum mark | 351 | 0.05 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 300 | 0.05 |
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 steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
6.8% of Mazda 3 MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 5,535 miles later (2,917 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 2,917 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
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