Mazda 323 1999: MOT failure rate for its age

49.8% of 1,072 MOT tests of the Mazda 323 first registered in 1999 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 95.2 (95% CI 87.2–103.3; 100 = normal for this model at that age): the 1999 build year is no different from other years of the same model at the same age. This is a rough estimate from a smaller sample.

Mazda 323 built in 1999 at a glance
Measure	Value	Unit	Compared with	Years	Tests
Failed first time	49.8	%	all ages tested	2019–2024	1072
Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 87.2–103.3)	95.2	index	100 = normal for this model at that age	2019–2024	1072
Rank among this model's 5 build years	2	of 5	1 = fails least for its age	2019–2024	1072
Tested in 2024	22	tests	median 103,999 miles	2024	22

Built 1999 against Mazda 323 normal for the age: first-time MOT failure share at each age, age 20: 50.5% vs 54.1%; age 21: 48.7% vs 49.5%; age 22: 45.4% vs n/a%. Axis from 0% to 60%. DVSA MOT bulk data, 2019–2024.

Check a 1999 Mazda 323 by registration · All Mazda 323 MOT statistics · Download the build-year table (CSV)

Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).

How does the 1999 Mazda 323 fail at each age?

Cars built in 1999 were tested at ages 20 to 22 between 2019 and 2024. Each row compares their first-time failure share with what this model normally shows at that age, after allowing for the overall failure level of each test year.

Mazda 323 built 1999: first-time MOT failure by age, against the model's normal rate at that age (2019–2024)
Age	Tests	Failed, %	95% interval	Normal for this model at that age, %	Index (100 = normal)
20	653	50.5	46.7–54.4	54.1	93.4
21	419 (rough estimate)	48.7	43.9–53.5	49.5	98.4
22	328 (rough estimate)	45.4	40.1–50.8	not available	not available

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,400 (initial tests) · Method: normal rate = this model's first-time failure share at that age across its build years (cells of 400+ tests), adjusted for each test year's overall level; cells of 30+ tests, under 500 marked rough · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

What fails most on the 1999 Mazda 323?

The most common failure group on cars built in 1999 is suspension: 53 items per 100 first tests, against 57.6 across all build years of the Mazda 323. These counts are not age-adjusted: cars built in 1999 were tested at ages 20 to 22.

Failure items per 100 first tests, Mazda 323 built 1999 against the Mazda 323 in all build years (2019–2024, not age-adjusted)
Failure group	Built 1999, per 100	All build years, per 100	Items
Suspension	53	57.6	979
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	36.5	28.6	674
Brakes	25.3	27.1	468
Visibility	14.6	13.6	269
Tyres	13	10.7	240

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,848 (initial tests of this build year) · Method: failure items grouped by DVSA's top-level defect groups, per 100 initial tests; groups with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

How does 1999 compare with the years around it?

Among the 5 published build years of the Mazda 323, 1999 ranks 2 (1 = fails least for its age). 2000: index 93.2.

Mazda 323 build years: index against the model at the same age (2019–2024)
Build year	Index (100 = normal)	95% interval	Verdict	Tests
1999	95.2	87.2–103.3	no different (rough estimate)	1,072
2000	93.2	86.2–100.3	no different (rough estimate)	1,383
2001	96.1	89.3–102.9	no different (rough estimate)	1,545
2002	95.2	89.8–100.6	no different (rough estimate)	2,434
2003	96.8	91.9–101.7	no different (rough estimate)	2,994

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 9,428 (initial tests) · Method: observed failures against those expected for the same model at the same ages, test-year level adjusted; verdict follows the printed one-decimal bound · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

How to cite this page

MOT Risk Index (2026). Mazda 323 1999 MOT statistics (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 30 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/mazda-323/1999/

How every figure is calculated: methodology. Age, test year and build year are tied together (age = test year − build year), so the test-year level is taken as observed, not estimated.

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