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Kia vs Mazda Reliability

Kia leads on our inspections: 70/100 average condition vs 63/100 for Mazda, from 368 real pre-purchase inspections. The average car we check scores 61/100.

vs
Head to head
KiaMazda
Cars inspected143225
Average condition70/10063/100
In good shape (60+/100)70%59%
Holds up to (avg dips below decent)~124k mi~115k mi
Repainted or replaced panel68%76%
Structural repair found1%5%
Fault codes recently cleared22%24%

Green = the better number of the pair. Condition reflects the mix of cars that came to us — age, price, model — so treat small gaps as a tie.

How they score
Kia
Excellent 43% Good 27% Mediocre 20% Poor 11%
Mazda
Excellent 28% Good 31% Mediocre 24% Poor 17%
How long do they stay good?
Good cars by mileage
▬ Kia▬ Mazda▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Kia, 0–20k mi: 100% in good shape (11 cars)Kia, 20–40k mi: 88% in good shape (26 cars)Kia, 40–60k mi: 85%, drawn from the nearby bands (13 cars in this band)Kia, 60–80k mi: 70% in good shape (27 cars)Kia, 80–100k mi: 61% in good shape (23 cars)Kia, 100–120k mi: 49%, drawn from the nearby bands (18 cars in this band)Kia, 120–140k mi: 43%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars in this band)Kia, 140–160k mi: 33%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars in this band)Kia, 160–180k mi: 29%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars in this band) Mazda, 0–20k mi: 89%, drawn from the nearby bands (18 cars in this band)Mazda, 20–40k mi: 80% in good shape (20 cars)Mazda, 40–60k mi: 83% in good shape (36 cars)Mazda, 60–80k mi: 63% in good shape (30 cars)Mazda, 80–100k mi: 50% in good shape (36 cars)Mazda, 100–120k mi: 40% in good shape (30 cars)Mazda, 120–140k mi: 32% in good shape (22 cars)Mazda, 140–160k mi: 29%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars in this band)Mazda, 160–180k mi: 35%, drawn from the nearby bands (7 cars in this band)Mazda, 180–200k mi: 23%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars in this band) 40k 80k 120k 160k 200k mileage when we inspected it
Good cars by age
▬ Kia▬ Mazda▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Kia, 1 years old: 95%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Kia, 2 years old: 94%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars this age)Kia, 3 years old: 90% in good shape (21 cars)Kia, 4 years old: 77%, drawn from the nearby bands (9 cars this age)Kia, 5 years old: 69%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age)Kia, 6 years old: 59%, drawn from the nearby bands (14 cars this age)Kia, 7 years old: 58%, drawn from the nearby bands (16 cars this age)Kia, 8 years old: 58%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars this age)Kia, 9 years old: 50%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age)Kia, 10 years old: 53%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars this age)Kia, 11 years old: 71%, drawn from the nearby bands (5 cars this age) Mazda, 1 years old: 95%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Mazda, 2 years old: 97%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Mazda, 3 years old: 92%, drawn from the nearby bands (16 cars this age)Mazda, 4 years old: 85%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars this age)Mazda, 5 years old: 79%, drawn from the nearby bands (14 cars this age)Mazda, 6 years old: 72%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars this age)Mazda, 7 years old: 63%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars this age)Mazda, 8 years old: 57%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)Mazda, 9 years old: 43% in good shape (28 cars)Mazda, 10 years old: 48%, drawn from the nearby bands (16 cars this age)Mazda, 11 years old: 50%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age)Mazda, 12 years old: 38% in good shape (13 cars)Mazda, 13 years old: 28%, drawn from the nearby bands (7 cars this age)Mazda, 14 years old: 38%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age) 2y 4y 6y 8y 10y 12y 14y 16y vehicle age when we inspected it

Share in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; a band under 20 cars follows the nearby bands, so a run above the all-cars line stays above it, and a band of 20 or more uses the rate we measured; where a band has too few cars, the line follows the trend between the bands on either side; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). Dashed grey = all cars we check.

Most common faults
Kia
Oil leaks · Engine
45%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
34%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
31%
Low coolant / cooling system issues · Engine
22%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
16%
Mazda
Oil leaks · Engine
65%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
34%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
33%
Worn suspension joints · Suspension
18%
Belts · Engine
14%
Trajectory by generation
Kia

Not enough Kias at the 5–10 year checkpoint yet to draw a generation trend.

Mazda ↘↗ Dipped in the mid-2010s — the newest generation recovered 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 64% in good shape (age-adjusted; 23 cars, raw 61%) 64 2015–17: 53% in good shape (age-adjusted; 43 cars, raw 47%) 53 2018–20: 65% in good shape (age-adjusted; 34 cars, raw 71%) 65 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+

Share in good shape when inspected at the same age (5–10 years, age-adjusted), by model-year generation; dashed = all-brand average. All brands →

FAQ
?
Which is more reliable, Kia or Mazda?
Kia leads on our inspections: 70/100 average condition vs 63/100 for Mazda, from 368 real pre-purchase inspections.
?
What are the most common problems with used Kias and Mazdas?
On Kias we flag oil leaks (45%), tires condition & wear (34%), fuel trim out of range (31%). On Mazdas: oil leaks (65%), fuel trim out of range (34%), tires condition & wear (33%).
?
How many Kia and Mazda vehicles have you inspected?
143 Kias and 225 Mazdas — 368 real pre-purchase inspections. Updated Oct 27, 2026.
?
How long do Kias and Mazdas stay in good shape?
In our data, the average Kia dips below “decent” around ~124k mi; Mazda around ~115k mi. Individual cars vary — get the one you’re buying inspected.
Buying a used Kia or Mazda? Get a pre-purchase inspection before you pay.
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Based on 368 inspections · updated Oct 27, 2026