Does the Mazda 323 fail the MOT on seat belts and airbags more than it should?
The Mazda 323 records 9.00 seat belts and airbags failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 3.93 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+5.07, 95% interval +4.62 to +5.53). It ranks 14 of 627 models on seat belts and airbags (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on seat belts and airbags · check a Mazda 323 by registration
What exactly fails on seat belts and airbags?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Mazda 323 is “The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired”, recorded 1,286 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 1,286 | 7.65 |
| An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction | 132 | 0.79 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 16,804 (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
Other pages for this model
Mazda 323 1999 · Mazda 323 2000 · Mazda 323 2001 · Mazda 323 2002 · Mazda 323 2003 · Mazda 323 in Norway · Mazda 323 in the Netherlands · Mazda 323 by postcode area · Mazda 323 body, chassis and structure failures · Mazda 323 brakes failures · Mazda 323 vehicle identification failures · Mazda 323 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Mazda 323 noise, emissions and leaks failures · Mazda 323 road wheels failures · Mazda 323 steering failures · Mazda 323 suspension failures · Mazda 323 tyres failures · Mazda 323 visibility failures