2008 Mazda 3 2.0L Petrol · AB08 AEF

The 2008 Mazda 3 presents as roadworthy with a stable maintenance trend. The most recent test on 13 August 2025 at 136,849 miles passed with no defects recorded, and the three prior passes from 2022 to 2024 also carried no advisories. The only blemish is a failed test on 15 September 2023 at 119,398 miles that was immediately retested and passed the same day with no defects listed, indicating an administrative or non-mechanical rejection rather than a genuine fault. Annual mileage sits at roughly 7,600 miles, typical for an eighteen-year-old car. The records show steady accumulation: 116,525 miles in October 2022, 119,398 in September 2023, 124,013 in August 2024, and 136,849 by August 2025. The gap between the October 2022 and September 2023 tests is just under eleven months, with only about 2,900 miles added, while the final year saw a larger 12,800-mile jump. The DVSA data is clean throughout, with no corrosion, suspension, brake, or emissions concerns ever flagged. A buyer should still commission a physical inspection beneath the car. Eighteen years of age leaves the Mazda exposed to structural rust on sills, subframes, and suspension mounting points even where MOT testers logged nothing. Check the coil springs, suspension bushes, and brake discs for age-related fatigue that clean MOT sheets will not reveal. The same-day fail and pass in September 2023 suggests the previous owner addressed whatever halted the first test without delay. Combined with four consecutive clear results, the history implies consistent basic upkeep rather than neglect, though high-mileage wear on consumables remains a risk at this age.