Used Mazda CX-30: Common Problems and Which Years to Buy

Crash repair. Walk around the car in daylight checking panel gaps are even and the paint colour matches on every panel, with no overspray on rubber seals or trim. A slightly different shade of white or silver between doors is easy to miss but shows repainting.

Wheels. Check each alloy wheel for kerb scrapes, dents or buckling. A badly kerbed wheel can be bent, which shows up as a vibration on the test drive.

Rust. Check the wheel arches, door sills and the bottom edge of the tailgate for bubbling paint or rust, especially on an older car. Rust starting here often means the car has sat near the coast or in damp storage.

Lights. Turn on every exterior light and check for condensation or cracks inside each lens. Fogged or cracked lenses let water in and can fail a roadworthy inspection.

Engine oil. Pull the dipstick and check the oil sits between the marks and looks brown, not black or milky. Milky oil can mean a coolant leak into the engine, which is expensive to fix.

Coolant. Check the coolant reservoir is at the mark and brightly coloured, not rusty or oily. Frequent top-ups point to a slow leak that's being ignored.

Battery. Look for a date sticker on the battery and check that auto stop-start switches the engine off at idle if fitted. If stop-start never kicks in, the battery may already be weak and due for replacement.

Cold start. If the engine is cold, start it and listen for how easily it fires and whether it settles into a smooth, quiet idle. A rattle, knock or puff of smoke on a cold start points to engine wear.

Tyres. Check all four tyres are above the wear bars, worn evenly and roughly matched in brand and age. On AWD cars, mismatched tyre sizes or wear strains the drivetrain over time.

AWD driveline. AWD: crouch down and look underneath for oil weeping around the rear differential and driveshaft joints. A wet, dirt-caked patch under the diff usually means a leaking seal.

Structural rust. Look underneath along the floor and around the suspension mounting points for rust, or fresh welds and new coating in only one area. Patchy new underseal in one spot usually hides a repaired impact.

Suspension. Push down hard on each corner of the car and let go; it should rise once and settle, not keep bouncing. Oily residue around a shock absorber means it's leaking and losing its damping.

Brakes. Look through the wheel spokes for deep grooves or a lip on the brake discs. Scored discs mean the discs are due for replacement sooner than expected.

Warning lights. Turn the key to "on" without starting; every warning light should light up then switch off once the engine is running. An airbag, brake or engine light staying lit needs an explanation before you buy.

Seatbelts. Pull each seatbelt out fully and let it retract; it should move smoothly and latch firmly with no fraying. A belt that sticks or retracts slowly may not restrain properly in a crash.

Infotainment screen. Connect your phone via Bluetooth or CarPlay and check the screen responds quickly without freezing or dropping the connection. A screen that freezes repeatedly is annoying to live with even if it's not a safety issue.

Spare wheel. Check the boot for a spare wheel or repair kit and a jack, and confirm the wheel matches the car's size. Some cars are sold with the repair kit missing or expired.

Automatic gearbox. Pull away from a stop and drive at low speed around a car park, checking for any hesitation, jerk or delay before the car moves off. A pause or lurch when pulling away at low speed often means the gearbox is struggling, not just a cold start quirk.

Manual clutch. Manual: in a high gear at around 50 km/h, floor the accelerator briefly. If engine revs rise faster than road speed, the clutch is slipping. A slipping clutch is a costly repair even if the car drives fine otherwise.

Brake feel. Brake firmly from speed on a quiet road; the pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling to one side or pulsing. A soft or sinking pedal can mean a fluid leak or failing master cylinder.

Driveline noise. Listen while driving for knocks over bumps, a hum that grows with speed, or clunks from underneath on tight, full-lock turns. A clunk on tight turns on AWD models often points to worn driveline joints.

Seller's ID. Check the seller's ID matches the name on the rego papers, and that the VIN matches on the papers and the VIN plate on the car.

Service history. Check the logbook is stamped at the right intervals, with receipts, and that the odometer readings climb steadily with no gaps. Missing stamps or jumps in mileage can hide a bigger problem or an odometer rollback.

Registration. Check the registration is current using an online rego search, and confirm there's no encumbrance or money owing recorded against the car. A car with money owing on it can be repossessed from the new owner even after a sale.