Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
390–25K
125–50K
150–75K
075–100K
1100–150K
0150K+
42 reports with mileage · 32 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.
Service Brakes. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
74 reports
8,000 miles · Nov 6, 2019
Service BrakesUnknown Or OtherInjury
CAR HAS GIVEN MULTIPLE WARNINGS THAT DRIVER AND SAFETY ASSIST FEATURES ARE DISABLED -- DESPITE NOT BEING ENABLED. CAR ALSO GAVE A CAMERA MALFUNCTION WARNING APPROXIMATELY 1 MINUTE BEFORE SLAMMING ON BRAKES UNEXPECTEDLY AT 35-40MPH AND CAUSING INJURY TO DRIVER;INCIDENT OCCURRED AT CLEAR NIGHT WITH NO OTHER CARS AROUND. CAR CURR…
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CAR HAS GIVEN MULTIPLE WARNINGS THAT DRIVER AND SAFETY ASSIST FEATURES ARE DISABLED -- DESPITE NOT BEING ENABLED. CAR ALSO GAVE A CAMERA MALFUNCTION WARNING APPROXIMATELY 1 MINUTE BEFORE SLAMMING ON BRAKES UNEXPECTEDLY AT 35-40MPH AND CAUSING INJURY TO DRIVER;INCIDENT OCCURRED AT CLEAR NIGHT WITH NO OTHER CARS AROUND. CAR CURRENTLY IN SHOP; NO WORD ON WHAT CAUSED THIS OR WHEN IT WILL BE REPAIRED.
NHTSA ODI #11278559
7,000 miles · Nov 1, 2019
Forward Collision AvoidanceCrash
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 MAZDA 3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO IMMEDIATELY ACCELERATE AFTER THE BRAKE ASSIST WAS ENGAGED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT T…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 MAZDA 3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO IMMEDIATELY ACCELERATE AFTER THE BRAKE ASSIST WAS ENGAGED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000.
NHTSA ODI #11277532
2,000 miles · Sep 12, 2019
Unknown Or Other
WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION THE RIGHT SIDE BLIND SPOT MONITORING SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK OCCASIONALLY. SOMETIMES THIS HAPPENS WITH A WARNING MESSAGE BUT SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS WITHOUT A WARNING. MULTIPLE REPAIR ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE BUT THE ISSUE STILL KEEPS HAPPENING. MAZDA IS TRYING TO WORK ON THIS ISSUE BUT IS NOT ABLE TO…
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WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION THE RIGHT SIDE BLIND SPOT MONITORING SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK OCCASIONALLY. SOMETIMES THIS HAPPENS WITH A WARNING MESSAGE BUT SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS WITHOUT A WARNING. MULTIPLE REPAIR ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE BUT THE ISSUE STILL KEEPS HAPPENING. MAZDA IS TRYING TO WORK ON THIS ISSUE BUT IS NOT ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEIR VEHICLES.
NHTSA ODI #11255133
3,000 miles · Sep 11, 2019
Seats
HEATED SEAT SHUTS OFF RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING
NHTSA ODI #11254802
5,000 miles · Aug 6, 2019
Electrical SystemPower TrainSteering
MY CAR SUDDENLY MADE A BIG CLUNK NOISE AND I WAS WARNED OF A POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION. I HAVE ALSO BEEN WARNED MULTIPLE TIMES THAT DUE TO A MALFUNCTION THE 'SAFETY SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN DISABLED', ANOTHER ISSUE IN HAVING IS A HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION. WHEN THE HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION OCCURS THE DIGITAL SPEEDOMETER GETS VERY DARK AND I …
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MY CAR SUDDENLY MADE A BIG CLUNK NOISE AND I WAS WARNED OF A POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION. I HAVE ALSO BEEN WARNED MULTIPLE TIMES THAT DUE TO A MALFUNCTION THE 'SAFETY SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN DISABLED', ANOTHER ISSUE IN HAVING IS A HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION. WHEN THE HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION OCCURS THE DIGITAL SPEEDOMETER GETS VERY DARK AND I AM UNABLE TO TELL HOW FAST I AM GOING. THERE IS NO WAY TO TURN THE BRIGHTNESS UP TO SEE THE SPEEDOMETER AGAIN UNTIL THE ERROR CODE GOES AWAY. MAZDA TOLD ME I MUST LEAVE MY WINDOWS DOWN WHEN THE CAR IS IN A HOT CLIMATE TO PREVENT IT FROM OVERHEATING WHILE NOT IN USE...I LIVE IN OHIO SO THE WEATHER IS NOT EXTREMELY HARSH. I'VE TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY HAVE NOT FIXED ANY OF THE ISSUES. I CALLED MAZDA CORPORATE AND WAS TOLD 'WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DO ABOUT IT' I WAS TOLD MY ISSUES HAD NO REMEDY. THE CORPORATE CALL CENTER WOULD NOT PUT ME THROUGH TO ANYONE ELSE FOR FURTHER HELP. I FEEL UNSAFE IN MY VEHICLE AND IT'S NOT EVEN OVER 8500 MILES YET.
NHTSA ODI #11241916
336 miles · Jul 20, 2019
Power Train
A SAFETY CRITICAL INCIDENT OCCURRED ON MY NEW 2019 MAZDA 3 HATCHBACK WHEN THE VEHICLE WHEN INTO "LIMP" MODE WHILE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS LEADING TO RAPID DECELERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST MANUFACTURER SERVICE LOCATION WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED. CODES SHOW THAT COMMUNICATION …
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A SAFETY CRITICAL INCIDENT OCCURRED ON MY NEW 2019 MAZDA 3 HATCHBACK WHEN THE VEHICLE WHEN INTO "LIMP" MODE WHILE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS LEADING TO RAPID DECELERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST MANUFACTURER SERVICE LOCATION WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED. CODES SHOW THAT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CENTRAL VEHICLE PROCESSOR AND MULTIPLE SUB-PROCESSORS FAILED SIMULTANEOUSLY. COMMENTS WERE MADE BY MANUFACTURER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES THAT FAILURE MODE IS LIKELY DIFFERENT FROM THE RECENT CYLINDER DEACTIVATION/ROCKER ARM RECALL. SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES WERE INSTRUCTED TO SIMPLY CLEAR THE CODES AND DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO ATTEMPT TO REPRODUCE THE FAILURE DURING WHICH IT DID NOT OCCUR. I HAVE ATTACHED A SANITIZED VERSION OF THE SERVICE RECEIPT TO THIS MESSAGE WITH THE FULL LIST OF CODES. UNFORTUNATELY MAZDA'S REPRESENTATIVES WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY EXPLANATION ON WHY THIS FAILURE OCCURRED OR WHAT WILL BE DONE TO PREVENT IT IN THE FUTURE. ENGINEERING ANALYSIS WILL NEED TO BE PERFORMED TO REACH AN ACCEPTABLE CONCLUSION. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS RELATING TO THE INCIDENT INCLUDE A VERY HOT OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE, WITH A READING OF 115 DEG F FROM THE VEHICLE'S SENSOR ROUGHLY 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE INCIDENT. THE INCIDENT ALSO OCCURRED ON A VERY LONG SECTION OF US HIGHWAY WITH A CONSISTENT, GRADUAL INCLINE. GIVEN THAT INFORMATION POTENTIAL CAUSES ARE INTERMITTENT COMPUTER HARDWARE FAILURE IN HIGH TEMPERATURE ENVIRONMENTS, OR A SOFTWARE ERROR IN POWER TRAIN CONTROL OR CRUISE CONTROL CAUSING A COMMUNICATION BUS FAILURE. WITH THE AGE AND MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE (336 MI) THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS FAILURE OCCURRING IS LIKELY PRESENT IN A LARGE PORTION OF NEW MAZDA VEHICLES.
NHTSA ODI #11233576
3,278 miles · Jul 19, 2019
Unknown Or Other
MY CAR'S COLLISION WARNING ENGAGED WITHOUT CAUSE. IT MAKES THE CAR BRAKES ABRUPTLY FOR NO REASON. THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS DURING HIGHWAY SPEED. IT HAPPENED 3 TIMES SO FAR IN THE 4 MONTHS THAT I OWN THE CAR. SOME OTHER OWNERS ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS.
NHTSA ODI #11233508
2,000 miles · Jul 12, 2019
Air Bags
SUDDENLY THERE WAS A ERROR SAYING AIRBAG SYSTEM HAS MALFUNCTIONED IN THE MIDDLE OF MY COMMUTE. AND IT HAS BEEN REOCCURRING. AND I HAVEN'T HEARD A PEEP FROM THE DEALER.
NHTSA ODI #11231363
1,300 miles · Jul 2, 2019
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other
THE ENTIRE VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS AT RANDOM TIMES WHILE DRIVING, MOST RECENTLY ON THE HIGHWAY. THE DASHBOARD ILLUMINATES STATING "SAFETY AND DRIVER SUPPORT SYSTEMS PARTIALLY DISABLED, DRIVE SAFELY". I LOSE BLIND SPOT MONITORING, LANE KEEP ASSISTANCE, RADAR, AND CITY BRAKE SUPPORT, AMONG OTHER THINGS. THIS HAS HAPPENE…
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THE ENTIRE VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS AT RANDOM TIMES WHILE DRIVING, MOST RECENTLY ON THE HIGHWAY. THE DASHBOARD ILLUMINATES STATING "SAFETY AND DRIVER SUPPORT SYSTEMS PARTIALLY DISABLED, DRIVE SAFELY". I LOSE BLIND SPOT MONITORING, LANE KEEP ASSISTANCE, RADAR, AND CITY BRAKE SUPPORT, AMONG OTHER THINGS. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PAST 2 WEEKS.
NHTSA ODI #11229042
30 miles · Jun 28, 2019
Structure
EVERY TIME IT RAINS SPARE TIRE WELL FILLS WITH WATER
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Mazda3 vehicles. The Smart Brake System (SBS) can falsely detect an obstacle while driving, activating the automatic emergency braking system and suddenly stopping the vehicle.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Stopping the vehicle unexpectedly increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will update the SBS software. In addition, vehicles with certain production dates will receive an instrument cluster software update or replacement and a replacement owner's manual. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began February 14, 2020. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 4219L.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2019 Mazda3 vehicles equipped with manual dimming mirrors. The adhesive between the interior rearview mirror and the housing may not be properly bonded, allowing the mirror to detach from the housing. Note: Vehicles equipped with auto dimming mirrors are not affected by this recall.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Rearward visibility will be reduced without the rearview mirror, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the interior rearview mirror assembly, free of charge. The recall began September 19, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3919G.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. The seat cover material on both front seats may interfere with the head restraint lock release button, causing it to stick in the release position and not allow the head restraint to lock into place.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Loose head restraints may increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will install spacers at the bottom of the lock release buttons on both front seat head restraints, free of charge. The recall began August 20, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3819F.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018-2019 CX-5, Mazda6, and 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. A software error in the powertrain control module (PCM) may cause the engine to stall.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An unexpected stall increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PCM software, free of charge. The recall began August 20, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3719F.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Engine
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018-2019 CX-5, Mazda6, and 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. A software error in the powertrain control module (PCM) may cause the engine to stall.
Consequence: An unexpected stall increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PCM software, free of charge. The recall began August 20, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3719F.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018-2019 CX-5, Mazda6, and 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. A software error in the powertrain control module (PCM) may cause the engine to stall.
Consequence: An unexpected stall increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PCM software, free of charge. The recall began August 20, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3719F.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. The lug nuts on all four wheels may loosen, potentially resulting in a wheel detaching from the vehicle.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A wheel separating from the vehicle increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the front and rear wheel lug nuts to the correct specification, free of charge. The recall began July 9, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3519F.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. Due to incorrect programing, the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light may erroneously turn off although the passenger air bag is deactivated. In addition, the seat belt status indicators for both the front passenger seat and/or rear seats may erroneously turn off although the front passenger and/or rear seat belts are unfastened.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Incorrect indicator warning lights may lead the driver and/or passengers to be unaware of deactivated air bags or unfastened seat belts, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag/seat belt status indicator assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 9, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3319E.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. Due to incorrect programing, the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light may erroneously turn off although the passenger air bag is deactivated. In addition, the seat belt status indicators for both the front passenger seat and/or rear seats may erroneously turn off although the front passenger and/or rear seat belts are unfastened.
Consequence: Incorrect indicator warning lights may lead the driver and/or passengers to be unaware of deactivated air bags or unfastened seat belts, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag/seat belt status indicator assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 9, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3319E.
Seat Belts:front:warning Light/devices
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. Due to incorrect programing, the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light may erroneously turn off although the passenger air bag is deactivated. In addition, the seat belt status indicators for both the front passenger seat and/or rear seats may erroneously turn off although the front passenger and/or rear seat belts are unfastened.
Consequence: Incorrect indicator warning lights may lead the driver and/or passengers to be unaware of deactivated air bags or unfastened seat belts, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag/seat belt status indicator assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 9, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3319E.
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
0
No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
2019 Mazda MAZDA3 Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year