Mazda

Which year Mazda 323 Zxi V6 24v is most reliable?

Based on 271 vehicles (1997–1998) and millions of DVLA MOT records.

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The 323 Zxi V6 24v is a relatively young model with only 2 model years in our dataset. All years are closely matched — differences are real but smaller than you'd see on a model with 10+ years of data.
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Not just "newer is more reliable"
These rankings compare each year at the same mileage point. Verdicts are also relative to this model's own average, not a universal scale. That's the difference between "old cars wear out" and "this year is genuinely more or less reliable."
Best year in dataset
1998
Highest pass rate at 67.3% — the strongest performer across 101 323 Zxi V6 24vs
Below model average
1997
Lower pass rate than other 323 Zxi V6 24vs — worth checking the MOT history before buying
See common failures for 1997 →
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Dataset
271
vehicles · 1997–1998 · millions of MOT records

Pass rate by year

Year Pass rate Vehicles
1998
67.3%
101 Best year
1997
62.4%
170 Worst year

Click any year to see full MOT history, common faults and comparisons for those cars. Verdicts are relative to this model's own average — a good Land Rover year is judged differently from a good Toyota year.

How is this measured?

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What "pass rate" means

The percentage of all MOT tests that resulted in a pass — counted across a car's whole life, not just its first test. Higher means fewer failures over time.

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Mileage groups built from real data

We split this model's real-world mileage history into 5 equal groups — so each slice contains the same number of cars, not an arbitrary round number like "0–30,000 miles."

Does age still matter?

Yes. A low-mileage 20-year-old car has still had 20 years of weather, perishing rubber, and ageing electrics. Comparing at the same mileage narrows the gap between old and new — but doesn't erase it entirely.

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Why this beats surveys

Our figures come from the DVLA's national MOT database — over 50 million real test results from accredited garages, with no opinions involved. Most reliability guides are based on owner surveys with a few hundred responses per model.

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