What year Mazda 323 LX is most reliable?

Based on MOT first-test pass rates, the 1988 Mazda 323 LX has the highest pass rate at 70.3%, out of 884 vehicles tested.

What are the most common Mazda 323 LX MOT failures?

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

CarHunch

Get Started

Mazda 323 LX — Reliability by Year

3,755 vehicles · MOT data 1987–1991 · first-test pass rates

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

✓

Best pass rate year

1988

70.3% pass rate · 884 vehicles

⚠

Lowest pass rate year

1990

59.5% pass rate · 240 vehicles

Year	Pass rate	Avg mileage	Vehicles
1991	69.2%	143,301 mi	139
1990	59.5%	99,827 mi	240
1988	70.3%	77,755 mi	884
1987	61.6%	72,733 mi	2,492

Which year Mazda 323 LX is most reliable?

MOT pass rate by year of manufacture — averaged across each vehicle's lifetime of tests.

Tests range from an average of 72,733 miles (newest year) to 143,301 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 LX.

See the buying guide →

← All Mazda models

Check any UK registration — free MOT history and risk insights.