What year Mazda 323 5 Speed is most reliable?

Based on MOT first-test pass rates, the 1983 Mazda 323 5 Speed has the highest pass rate at 67.9%, out of 5,041 vehicles tested.

What are the most common Mazda 323 5 Speed MOT failures?

The most common Mazda 323 5 Speed MOT failures vary by year. Check the individual year pages for detailed defect breakdowns — links in the table above.

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Mazda 323 5 Speed — Reliability by Year

15,176 vehicles · MOT data 1983–1985 · first-test pass rates

This page shows MOT first-test pass rates for each year the Mazda 323 5 Speed was manufactured — click any year to explore that cohort in detail. Trying to decide which year to buy? See the full buying guide →

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Best pass rate year

1983

67.9% pass rate · 5,041 vehicles

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Lowest pass rate year

1985

59.9% pass rate · 4,023 vehicles

Year	Pass rate	Avg mileage	Vehicles
1985	59.9%	51,873 mi	4,023
1984	64.3%	65,207 mi	6,112
1983	67.9%	64,618 mi	5,041

Which year Mazda 323 5 Speed is most reliable?

MOT pass rate by year of manufacture — averaged across each vehicle's lifetime of tests. Green = noticeably above average for this model; red = noticeably below average.

Tests range from an average of 51,873 miles (newest year) to 65,207 miles (oldest year). Older years naturally accumulate more tests at higher mileages — see the mileage-normalised breakdown →

Trying to decide which year to buy?

We've done the full analysis — which years to look for, which to avoid, and where to find the best value for reliability on a Mazda 323 5 Speed.

See the buying guide →

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