2013 Mazda 3 1.6L Petrol · SV13 VCK

The 2013 Mazda 3 holds a current MOT valid from 8 October 2025 at 119,354 miles, but the maintenance trend is not reassuring. The most recent test passed with four advisories, including slight play in both rear anti-roll bar drop links and the offside front suspension arm ball joint, plus corrosion on the offside front Macpherson strut top mount. These are not fresh defects. The same front and rear sub-frame corrosion advisories appeared in both 2022 and 2024, meaning the underbody has been flagged for surface corrosion across three consecutive tests without any recorded repair. The pattern suggests a slow but steady decline in suspension and structural condition rather than a resolving one. The mileage progression tells a fairly consistent story. From 81,205 miles in October 2021 to 119,354 miles in October 2025, the car has covered roughly 38,149 miles in four years, averaging around 9,500 miles per year. That sits comfortably within typical annual use for a 13-year-old car. There are no suspicious gaps or sudden jumps in the record, and the MOTs have been renewed each autumn without a break, so the car appears to have been in regular use rather than sitting idle. A buyer should focus the physical inspection on the underside and front suspension. The repeated sub-frame corrosion advisories, combined with the 2025 strut mount corrosion, warrant a close look at the front and rear sub-frame mounting points, inner wing arches, and suspension turrets for any progression beyond surface rust. The worn and pitted rear brake discs noted in 2021 were not flagged again, but the 2025 advisories on the rear drop links and front ball joint point to worn joints that may now need replacement. Check for uneven tyre wear, especially on the nearside, given the edge-wear advisory on the nearside rear tyre in 2023 and the nearside front and rear tyres flagged in 2022. Treat the corrosion and suspension play as the main risk areas. The car is not unsafe on paper, but the record shows a pattern of deferred underbody and suspension upkeep. A thorough inspection on a ramp, with attention to sub-frame condition, ball joint boots, drop link play, and brake condition, is essential before committing.