CLUTCH SLIPPING, HIGH RPMS, NOT RED LINING. TRANSMISSION EXPLODED CAUSING ENGINE FIRE AND BURNING MOTOR AND ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS.
2004 Mazda MAZDA3
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2004 Mazda MAZDA3 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 108.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all MAZDA3 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
111 reports with mileage · 34 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
24 reportsI HAVE CAR JM1BK12F64[XXXX], MAZDA 3, 2004, 2.0L. I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE AXLE SHAFT OF MY CAR. I NEED TO KNOW IF THIS CAR HAS RECALLS OR WARRANTY. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN DEALER OF PUERTO RICO BUT IT WAS AN IMPORT FROM THE USA. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)…
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I HAVE CAR JM1BK12F64[XXXX], MAZDA 3, 2004, 2.0L. I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE AXLE SHAFT OF MY CAR. I NEED TO KNOW IF THIS CAR HAS RECALLS OR WARRANTY. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN DEALER OF PUERTO RICO BUT IT WAS AN IMPORT FROM THE USA. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
1) DRIVING AT 60 MPH ON HIGHWAY, AT 4TH GEAR. 2) TRANSMISSION FAILED TO PUT POWER INTO THE WHEELS, CAUSING THE CAR TO DECELERATE RAPIDLY EVEN THOUGH RPM RISES WHEN THROTTLE IS PRESSED. ONLY 1ST AND 2ND GEARS ARE ABLE TO TRANSFER POWER FROM ENGINE TO WHEELS. 3) DEALER REFUSE TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION, EVEN THOUGH MALFUNCT…
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1) DRIVING AT 60 MPH ON HIGHWAY, AT 4TH GEAR. 2) TRANSMISSION FAILED TO PUT POWER INTO THE WHEELS, CAUSING THE CAR TO DECELERATE RAPIDLY EVEN THOUGH RPM RISES WHEN THROTTLE IS PRESSED. ONLY 1ST AND 2ND GEARS ARE ABLE TO TRANSFER POWER FROM ENGINE TO WHEELS. 3) DEALER REFUSE TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION, EVEN THOUGH MALFUNCTIONING OF THIS PARTICULAR PART ARE APPARENT TO MANY OF THE OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE. *TR
AFTER LESS THAN 40,000 MILES THE CLUTCH IN MY 2004 MAZDA 3 FAILED COMPLETELY AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. THE REPAIR BILL COST ME $1,100. *TR
2004 MAZDA 3 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURES. 1ST OFFENSE, IT REQUIRED A PCM VALVE/SOLENOID REPLACED., 2ND OFFENSE: TRANSMISSION LOST 4TH GEAR AND WONT SHIFT INTO 4TH GEAR. CAR IS IN A SHOP FOR DIAGNOSIS. ONLY GOES UP TO 35 MPH IF SHIFT MANUALLY AND IN 3RD GEAR, OTHERWISE IT REVS, JERKS, STALLS, ETC . *TR
WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE TRANSMISSION OF MY 2004 MAZDA 3 WITH ONLY 84,000KM DIED AS IT LOST THE ABILITY TO REACH 3RD AND 4TH GEAR. THIS INCIDENT NEARLY COST ME MY LIFE YET MAZDA CANADA WOULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. WHAT KIND OF COMPANY CAN NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AFTER SUCH A NEAR-FATAL INCIDENT. SUFFICE TO SAY TH…
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WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE TRANSMISSION OF MY 2004 MAZDA 3 WITH ONLY 84,000KM DIED AS IT LOST THE ABILITY TO REACH 3RD AND 4TH GEAR. THIS INCIDENT NEARLY COST ME MY LIFE YET MAZDA CANADA WOULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. WHAT KIND OF COMPANY CAN NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AFTER SUCH A NEAR-FATAL INCIDENT. SUFFICE TO SAY THAT MAZDA WILL NEVER GET MY BUSINESS AGAIN. $3,200 LATER, I'M STILL ALIVE NO THANKS TO MAZDA. *TR
LETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN VAN HOLLEN ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE SAFETY PROBLEMS (RANDOM STALLING) WITH HIS 2004 MAZDA3 *TGW THE CONSUMER WENT TO SEARS TO PURCHASE A BATTERY THINKING THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE RANDOM STALLING, BUT WAS TOLD THE BATTERY WAS FINE AND IT APPEARED THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE T…
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LETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN VAN HOLLEN ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE SAFETY PROBLEMS (RANDOM STALLING) WITH HIS 2004 MAZDA3 *TGW THE CONSUMER WENT TO SEARS TO PURCHASE A BATTERY THINKING THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE RANDOM STALLING, BUT WAS TOLD THE BATTERY WAS FINE AND IT APPEARED THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS. THE CONSUMER THEN WENT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD DIFFERENT THINGS WERE WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, WHICH WAS CAUSING IT TO STALL. THE CONSUMER PAID FOR THE REPAIRS, BUT WEEKS LATER THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE CLUTCH AND TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. *JB
TRANSMISIN DAADA. *TR
I HAVE A 04 MAZDA 3 W/ AUTOMATIC TRANS / DRIVING INTO PARKING LOT HEARD A LOUD NOISE , CAR QUIT MOVING , DRIVER SIDE AXLE WAS HANGING / THE ENGINE HAD ALMOST DROP TO THE FLOOR , VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SHOP , THEY FOUND OUT THAT THE BRACKET WHICH HOLDS TRANSAXLE / ENGINE , ON DRIVER SIDE HAD BROKEN !! IT IS A ALUMINUM BRACKET W…
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I HAVE A 04 MAZDA 3 W/ AUTOMATIC TRANS / DRIVING INTO PARKING LOT HEARD A LOUD NOISE , CAR QUIT MOVING , DRIVER SIDE AXLE WAS HANGING / THE ENGINE HAD ALMOST DROP TO THE FLOOR , VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SHOP , THEY FOUND OUT THAT THE BRACKET WHICH HOLDS TRANSAXLE / ENGINE , ON DRIVER SIDE HAD BROKEN !! IT IS A ALUMINUM BRACKET WITH 3 BOLTS THAT CARRY ALL THE WEIGHT OF ENGINE / TRANSAXLE IT DAMAGED BOTH AXLE SHAFTS , CAUSED ABOUT $ 950.00 ON REPAIRS MY CONCERN IS THAT IT A VERY BAD / POOR / WEAK / DESIGN / THE GOOD THING IT HAPPENED AT LOW SPEED , IF IT WOULD HAVE BROKEN AT FREEWAY SPEED IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR DAMAGE / ACCIDENT !! *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA3. SHE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD BE DRIVEN AS AN AUTOMATIC OR A MANUAL. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH IN MANUAL MODE SHE ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT GEARS, TO NO AVAIL. SHE HAD TO TAKE HER FOOT OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL IN ORDER FOR THE GEARS TO RELEASE AND AFTERWARDS THE GEARS STARTED TO SHIFT ON THEIR OWN. SHE WA…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA3. SHE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD BE DRIVEN AS AN AUTOMATIC OR A MANUAL. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH IN MANUAL MODE SHE ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT GEARS, TO NO AVAIL. SHE HAD TO TAKE HER FOOT OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL IN ORDER FOR THE GEARS TO RELEASE AND AFTERWARDS THE GEARS STARTED TO SHIFT ON THEIR OWN. SHE WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE FREEWAY WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER, BUT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. SHE WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE OR MAKE A TURN. THE VEHICLE BEGAN MOVING FROM ONE LANE TO ANOTHER AND ACCELERATED THROUGH A RED LIGHT TO AVOID A COLLISION. THE VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING WITHIN IN A FEW MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD MELTED, DAMAGED THE SENSOR AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, SENSORS, AND THE GASKETS; HOWEVER, SHE HAD TO ADD OIL TO THE ENGINE BECAUSE THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE ENGINE ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SHE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND FILED A REPORT; HOWEVER , THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIRS. THE ENGINE WAS NOT REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,000.
Official recalls
221V494000 · Air Bags:frontal
Jul 1, 2021
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2004-2007 Mazda3 vehicles. During air bag deployment, the plastic emblem on the steering wheel air bag module cover may shatter, and project plastic fragments into the vehicle.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Plastic fragments can hit occupants during air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the air bag module cover, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed between August 28, 2021 and October 28, 2021. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 4921G.
04V468000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
Sep 24, 2004
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A CRACK IN THE AIR BAG CRASH ZONE SENSOR HOUSING CAN ALLOW WATER TO ENTER THE SENSOR, CAUSING A SHORT CIRCUIT AND ILLUMINATING THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS PROBLEM EXISTS, THE AIR WILL NOT DEPLOY AS DESIGNED IN CERTAIN TYPES OF FRONTAL CRASHES, INCREASING THE RISK OF DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY TO THE DRIVER AND FRONT SEAT PASSENGER.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE CRASH ZONE SENSOR AND REPLACE IT, IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 28, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MAZDA AT 1-800-222-5500.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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