It is unusual for components like this to fail.I think it more likely that the garage did not fit it properly.Could be bolts left loose or overtightened..If the suspension has collapsed,then it is possible other damage has been done and put the steering/suspension alignment out of tolerance.This needs to be checked.

A few questions before I at least (and perhaps others) can give some advice:

1. How old is the car? What model (mk 1, 2 or 3, other details) is it?
2. Have you owned it from new or bought it second hand? If it is second hand, do you know how many owners were there before you and any of that service history?
3. Has the car been serviced throughout its life at a main dealer or independent for part of the time (say outside of its 3 year warranty period) and in line with the manufacturer's guidelines (not just the date, but the level of service - some things can get missed)?
4. Was the recent replacement work done at a main dealer or independent garage? Were the new parts Mazda parts or an OEM - it could be that inappropriate parts (those not compatable with your car) were fitted, or even fake parts (not necessarily done deliberately - they could've been sourced via the internet from what looked like a reputable source but in reality wasn't - a higher possibility if the work was carried out at an independent).
5. It seems strange why they did the '2nd fix' on your drive - have you since been to their garage (almost certainly a main dealer would not do this, but you never know) to check what is going on?

I personally wouldn't drive the car if it feels really bad to drive (Mazda3s [I have a mk1] are very good handling cars and so should never feel 'wrong' if in good order).

In reply to a few questions. The car is an 08 mazda 3, not sure what mk. We have had it for three years and have used the same local garage for the all servicing, mot and repairs it's needed. It is not a mazda garage. The Garage sourced the part and fixed it. It has one previous owner and has full service history. Mazda serviced for the first few years. I have a photo of the ball joint after it failed on the car before it was replaced but I'm not sure how to upload it. Many thanks Sammy