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2017 Mazda Mazda3 Problems & Owner Complaints
Age-normalised, this year draws ~8.3 complaints per year on the road — ranking 9 of 15 Mazda Mazda3 years we track (1 = most complaints per year).
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What owners report
Electrical System is the most-reported problem area on the 2017 Mazda Mazda3, cited in 20 of 83 filed complaints (24%).
Back Over Prevention is next (11 complaints, 13%), followed by Service Brakes (7), Engine (5), Visibility/Wiper (5).
Across all complaints, 6 report a crash, 1 report injuries.
The most safety-critical cluster is Service Brakes: 4 crash, 1 injury report(s).
Complaints by vehicle system
Owner complaints filed with the U.S. NHTSA for the 2017 Mazda Mazda3, grouped by the vehicle system each cites. A single complaint can name more than one system, so the group totals can add up to more than 83.
Unknown Or Other 27 1 crash 1 injury
“I made a right turn onto a gravel driveway that has a slight incline. My speed was less than 10 mph. At the top of the incline I attempted to make a U turn so I could park the car. Midway through the U turn the car's acceleration increased rapidly to high speed without my stepping on the accelerator. I pressed the brake 3 times. The brake pedal went to the floor without seemingly any effect. In seconds the car traveled across the front lawn, picked up concrete from and old cistern top and smashed into the front porch tearing it off it's foundation. Portions of the porch and tree limb fell shor…”
NHTSA complaint #11665128, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)
“The original OEM radio in my Mazda has been experiencing persistent ghost touch issues, making it incredibly frustrating to use. The screen often registers inputs without me touching it, leading to random changes in volume, station selections, and menu navigation. As a result, I find myself unable to rely on my radio for music or navigation, which significantly detracts from my driving experience. I’m considering possible solutions, but for now, it's an inconvenience that I can't overlook.”
NHTSA complaint #11676190, 2025
“The screen that displays the backup camera image has an issue that makes it difficult to see the backup camera feed clearly. The screen appeared like this unexpectedly when I returned to my car after a work day. The only warning was a malfunction of the screen's touch function for the last several months.”
NHTSA complaint #11671873, 2025
Electrical System 20
“Repeated instances of the Mazda Infotainment system making changes randomly without any user input while driving. Repeated instances of the navigation system freezing, going black, rebooting while driving.”
NHTSA complaint #11676786, 2025
“Malfunctioning on and off on the display screen. My battery went dead after 11 months. Cause? It started over a year ago, but I called Mazda and they said there were no recalls at that time. Are there any now to date? Thank you for your time.”
NHTSA complaint #11638628, 2025
“The infotainment system is malfunctioning. It constantly restarts/reboots while I am driving and it is highly distracting. I contacted Mazda USA about this, but they responded by saying there are not active recalls for this car and the car isn't under warranty. I took it to a dealership and they quoted me $1450 for repairs. However, a problem such as this should not be occuring for a car that isn't too old. It is highly distracting and it is endagering me while I am driving, putting my and drivers on the roads' safety at risk. Mazda should fix this issue and pay for all repairs in full.”
NHTSA complaint #11632043, 2024
Back Over Prevention 11
“Hello frustrated people! Second time back to the dealership...backup camera they say got wet from moisture, (after 2 drained batteries in less than 2 years), my cost. I think that this is a very dangerous vehicle that I am driving now!!!! Besides the fact, at my age, being stuck in a parking lot in 20 degree weather for 3 hours waiting for roadside assistance. The camera goes haywire...I cannot connect to the phone or navigation system. I can't leave my house for fear that my car is not going to start! Now I have to pay for a backup camera??? WE think that is the problem, they told m…”
NHTSA complaint #11651853, 2025
“The contact owns a 2017 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”
NHTSA complaint #11607568, 2024
“The contact owns a 2017 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the rear-view camera screen failed to display an image. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”
NHTSA complaint #11603773, 2024
Service Brakes 7 4 crash 1 injury
“I made a right turn onto a gravel driveway that has a slight incline. My speed was less than 10 mph. At the top of the incline I attempted to make a U turn so I could park the car. Midway through the U turn the car's acceleration increased rapidly to high speed without my stepping on the accelerator. I pressed the brake 3 times. The brake pedal went to the floor without seemingly any effect. In seconds the car traveled across the front lawn, picked up concrete from and old cistern top and smashed into the front porch tearing it off it's foundation. Portions of the porch and tree limb fell shor…”
NHTSA complaint #11665128, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)
“CAR WAS PARKED IN A CARPORT ON FLAT GROUND. CAME OUTSIDE CAR WAS GONE .. ROLLED OUT OF THE CARPORT DOWN A 500 FT DRIVEWAY, TURNED INTO THE DRIVEWAY ACROSS THE HIGHWAY INTO A VEHICLE PARKED THERE.. ELECTRONIC BRAKING WAS APPLIED AND STILL ENGAGED.. PARKED THE CAR BACK INTO THE CARPORT AND TRIED PUSHING IT OUT OF THE CARPORT AND WOULDNT BUDGE... MY VEHICLE ROLLED ACROSS A BUSY HIGHWAY AND IF THE LADY DIDNT HAVE A VEHICLE PARKED THERE IT WOULD HAVE WENT INTO THE SIDE OF HER HOUSE...”
NHTSA complaint #11446133, 2022 · crash
“I LEASED THIS CAR BRAND NEW IN 2016 , SINCE THEN, I HAVE HAD TWO INCIDENTS WHICH WHILE PARKED AND IN GEAR WITH THE MECHANICAL E-BRAKE SET I HAVE WALKED OUTSIDE TO FIND MY CAR NOT WHERE I LEFT IT. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS IN SEPTEMBER OF 2017 RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AS WELL AS THE REAR END. I WAS LIVING ON BLOCK ISLAND AND THE CAR LET LOOSE OUT OF THE PARKING SPOT AND ROLLED BACKWARDS INTO A TREE DOING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AND COMPLETELY TAKING THE MIRROR OFF. AFTER HITTING THE TREE THE CAR THE REDIRECTED TOWARDS ANOTHER GROUP OF SMALL T…”
NHTSA complaint #11278539, 2019 · crash
Engine 5 1 crash
“THE ENGINE BEGAN REVVING HIGH AS I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND APPLY THE BRAKES AS I APPROACHED A TRAFFIC RED LIGHT. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL TO SEE IF BY TAPPING THE GAS PEDAL IT WOULD STOP REVVING. IT DID NOT. WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR, I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND THE CAR SPED FORWARD DESPITE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I WENT THROUGH A RED LIGHT TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN ON TO A MAJOR HIGHWAY, CROSSED A MEDIAN STRIP, CLIPPED A VEHICLE IN THE REAR, TURNED THE CAR TRYING TO AVOID COLLISIONS WITH OTHER CARS, WENT OFF THE ROAD HITTING UTILITY POLE AND TRANSFORMER…”
NHTSA complaint #11115710, 2018 · crash
“I have a 2017 Mazda 3 with exactly 59,454 miles. I was driving my car into work and a warning came on saying coolant temperatures high pull over immediately. I feel my safety was at risk since I was on a highway and my car lost power and would not allow me to accelerate. Loaded the car on a flatbed to bring into a Mazda dealership. I had oil leaking into my coolant. They diagnosed it as a cracked cylinder head or engine block. Only solution I was given was to replace the engine with a factory new engine. I spoke to Mazda customer service and they admitted it is a known issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11582576, 2024
“ENGINE STALLS WHEN IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY. SAME AS OTHER MODELS ON NHTSA WEBSITE.”
NHTSA complaint #11300508, 2020
Visibility/Wiper 5
“Intermittent faulty display (or no display) from rear-view camera as described in Recall 23V-487. Recall was issued in July 2023, but as of August 27, 2024, the parts to fix the recall issue are still not available and Mazda customer service has no idea when the parts will be available. In my view, this is not a timely resolution of the problem.”
NHTSA complaint #11611249, 2023
“2017 MAZDA 3 GRAND TOURING HATCHBACK DRIVING ON A ROAD GOING 30 MPH AND HEAR WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A MUFFLED GUNSHOT RIGHT ABOVE ME. I SAW THAT I HAD GLASS RAINING DOWN THE BACK OF MY CAR, EMPTYING ONTO THE STREET AND CAUSING CARS TO SWERVE TO AVOID THE GLASS. THAT WAS WHEN I REALIZED THAT MY SUNROOF JUST EXPLODED. I PULLED OVER AND SAW THAT THE SUNROOF WAS SHATTERED WITH SPLINTERS OF GLASS EVERYWHERE. I NOTICED THAT THE SUNROOF BURSTED OUTWARD, AS IF NOTHING FELL ON IT. THERE WAS NOTHING ABOVE ME OR BESIDE ME AT THE TIME OF THE EXPLOSION. THE F-150 IN FRONT OF ME WAS GOING THE SAME SPEED 5 CAR…”
NHTSA complaint #11318577, 2020
“I AM CURRENTLY STATIONED OVERSEAS AND CONTACTED MAZDA CUSTOMER SERVICE SEVERAL TIMES FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THE ISSUE. I NEVER RECEIVED A REPLY AND IT HAS BEEN ALMOST A YEAR SINCE I WAS FIRST NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL.”
NHTSA complaint #11344263, 2019
Structure 4 1 crash
“THIS GOES WITH PREVIOUS FORM TGE OTHER THING IS THAT MY DOOR FLEW OF ON FREEWAY RIGHT BEFORE IT JERKED LIKE STATED IN OTHER FORM MY CAR HAD JUST BEEN FIXED FROM SAME DOORS AND NOW ONE FLIES OF CAR DOINGB80 MILES PER HR ON I15 IN NEVADA CAUSIN THE ACCIDENT I HAD I FEEL REPAIR SHOP NEEDS TO COVER THE COST OF ACCIDENT”
NHTSA complaint #11102914, 2018 · crash
“THE PAINT CHIPS VERY EASILY. THE HOOD IS VERY PITTED. TITANIUM FLASH PEARL. THIS PAINT COLOR WAS AN EXTRA COST TOO. SINCE INITIAL OWNERSHIP, IT HAS JUST BECOME SO BAD OVER THE OWNERSHIP PERIOD, THAT I CAN'T TOUCH IT UP ANY MORE. EXTREMELY RELIABLE CAR OTHERWISE. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW.”
NHTSA complaint #11366238, 2020
“I AM NOTICING EXCESSIVE PAINT CHIPS ON THE HOOD AND FRONT FENDERS OF MY 2017 MAZDA 3. THE PAINT IS: SOUL RED CRYSTAL PAINT. I HAVE NOT NOTICED OR HEARD ROAD DEBRIS HIT THE CAR. THE CAR HAS ABOUT 23000 MILES. THE PAINT SEEMS VERY THIN. I HAVE NOTICED OTHER MAZDA OWNERS WITH THIS PAINT HAVING SIMILAR ISSUES. PERHAPS THESE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND BE REPAINTED. I HAVE SUBMITTED A PHOTO - THERE IS ONE DENT RIGHT FRONT FENDER FROM A ROCK THAT DID HIT THE CAR OVER A YEAR AGO, BUT THE CHIPS WERE NOT THERE.”
NHTSA complaint #11258570, 2019
Forward Collision Avoidance 3 1 crash 1 injury
“I made a right turn onto a gravel driveway that has a slight incline. My speed was less than 10 mph. At the top of the incline I attempted to make a U turn so I could park the car. Midway through the U turn the car's acceleration increased rapidly to high speed without my stepping on the accelerator. I pressed the brake 3 times. The brake pedal went to the floor without seemingly any effect. In seconds the car traveled across the front lawn, picked up concrete from and old cistern top and smashed into the front porch tearing it off it's foundation. Portions of the porch and tree limb fell shor…”
NHTSA complaint #11665128, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)
“VEHICLES CENTER CONSOLE DISPLAY SCREEN SUFFERS FROM GHOST TOUCHES. THE DISPLAY REGISTERS INPUTS FROM THE TOUCHSCREEN WITH NO ONE TOUCHING THE DISPLAY THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE THAT IS ON THE 14-16 VERSIONS OF THIS VEHICLE. THE DISPLAY SELF NAVIGATES CAUSING A SUBSTANTIAL DISTRACTION AND INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF A CRASH. AS WELL ON A FEW INSTANCES SELF NAVIGATES THROUGH THE MENU AND SOMETIMES ENABLES OR DIABLES ADAS SYSTEM FEATURES COLLISION PREVENTION ETC.”
NHTSA complaint #11530520, 2023
“The contact owns a 2017 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while driving at various speeds in the rain or in the snow, the instrument cluster, the instrument panel, and the infotainment system became inoperable, causing the Forward Sensing Camera system to become inoperable. Additionally, the contact stated that the rearview camera was inoperable while reversing in the rain or in the snow. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while operating the vehicle in inclement weather. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact relat…”
NHTSA complaint #11584492, 2022
Fuel/Propulsion System 3
“Anytime the tank was filled with gas there was a strong smell of gasoline vapors that persisted for several days. The car was a few months past its warranty on emissions issues and so I was charged about $1500 to replace a cracked fuel pump and fuel vent that was stuck open. The mechanic also said that the check engine light should have warned me about the problem but that neither the dashboard light nor his diagnostic equipment was triggered by the defect. He suspects the car's computer is programmed to avoid drawing attention to the problem. Had the light been working I would likely have cau…”
NHTSA complaint #11686763, 2025
“My 2017 Mazda 3 (85,000 miles) suddenly had the engine light go on and a loss of power. I’m lucky I didn’t have an accident. I took it immediately to the shop and they informed me that my low pressure fuel pump is bad. I see they have a recall on Mazda 2018–2020 fuel pumps. However, I also saw a class action lawsuit attempt to include Mazdas from previous years because the fuel pump has the same number as those cars. I had just taken my car in for routine maintenance, spark plug change, and inspection at the dealership two weeks before this incidence happened and they didn’t report anything…”
NHTSA complaint #11542240, 2023
“I HAVE ONLY 38K MILES ON MY VEHICLE I WENT TO GET EMISSIONS DONE I FAILED DUE TO GAS CAP WENT TO DEALERSHIP AND FOUND OUT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REPLACING THERE GAS CAPS AND THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR TO HAVE TO DO EMISSIONS TEST AND THIS IS MAKING ME WONDER WILL MY GAS CAP FAIL AGAIN NEXT YEAR OR EVERY 3 YEARS AND MY GAS CAP HAS A STRING ATTACHED TO IT SO IT HAVE NEVER HIT THE GROUND OR ANY THING OF THAT NATURE IF I HAVE TO REPLACE THE GAS CAP DUE TO INEFFICIENT SEALING OF GAS CAP TO GAS TANK I FEEL THERE SHOULD B A RECALL TO FIX THE ISSUE I HAVE FAITH IN MAZDA TO DO THE RIGHT THING I JUST WANT…”
NHTSA complaint #11301814, 2020
Power Train 3
“Transmission is pulling during shifting. Dealer updated Transmission software twice already during warranty. Car is doing it again. This can be a safety problem when pulling in front of traffic and Transmission fails to shift smoothly and it jerks/delays.”
NHTSA complaint #11590646, 2024
“WHEN FROM A FULL STOP, THEN WITH WHEN NEEDING TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY, THERE IS A DELAY IN ENGINE RESPONSE. USUALLY HALF A SECOND TO ONE FULL SECOND DELAY IN ENGINE RESPONSE BEFORE IT STARTS TO ACCELERATE. ONE ONE OCCASION, IT DID NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL. I HAD TO THEN LET MY FOOT OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL AND PRESS DOWN ON THE GAS AGAIN FOR IT TO FINALLY ACCELERATE. THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS FOR EXAMPLE WHEN I WAS ON THE FREEWAY. MY LANE WAS STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC, BUT THE LANE TO MY RIGHT WAS OPEN, SO I WAITED TILL IT WAS CLEAR THEN TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND PRESS THE GAS PEDAL. WEL…”
NHTSA complaint #11101965, 2018
“ENGINE SHUT DOWN IN TRAFFIC AND WOULD NOT COME OUT OF DRIVE. MAZDA DEALER SERVICE TOLD ME TO DISCONNECT BATTERY TO RESET SYSTEM. I THINK THIS IS SAFETY ISSUE. PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH ANSWER”
NHTSA complaint #11066024, 2018
Suspension 3 1 crash
“SO I HAVE VISITED MAZDA DEALER IN CERRITOS. FEW TIMES SINCE I PURCHASED CAR I HAVE BEEN TELLING THEM ABOUT MY CAR JERKING TO THE SIDE WHILE DRIVING ITS LIKE A WOBBLE EFFECT THEY SAID CAR WAS FINE I INSISTED TO GET IT CHECKED AND THEY DIDNT SONI WENT BACK AND TOLD THEM I WANTED FULL CHECK THEY SAID FOR WHATBITS A NEW CAR I SAID I DONT FEEL SAFE WITH MY CAR JERKIN TO SIDE AND MAKING ME COME CLOSE TO SIDE SWIPE OTHER CARS. ON THE FREEWAY THEY CHECKED IT MILDLY I SAY THAT BECAUSE THEY DIDNT LAST NOT EVEN AN HOUR WHEN I GOT CAR RETURNED TO ME THE PROBLWM CONTINUED INRECENTLY GOT AN A ACCIDENT DUE T…”
NHTSA complaint #11102912, 2018 · crash
“CONTROL ARMS HAVE STARTED LEAKING WHERE THE FRONT BALL JOINTS ARE AND THE WARRANTY DEPARTMENT IS DECLINING TO COVER ANY OF THE COSTS. THEY HAVE BEEN LEAKING SINCE MARCH 2020, RIGHT BEFORE MY WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED TO NOT HAVE FOUND ANYTHING WRONG BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. MY PERSONAL MECHANIC FOUND THEY WERE LEAKING THE WEEK BEFORE MY WARRANTY EXPIRED AND SUGGESTED I GO TO THE DEALER. THE CAR MAKES A CLUNKING NOISE GOING OVER SPEED BUMPS AND DIPS. MY CAR IS ONLY AT 42K MILES.”
NHTSA complaint #11364219, 2020
“DURING INITIAL MOVEMENT OF VEHICLE AFTER STARTING, SUSPENSION MAKES SQUEAKING NOISE, SPECIALLY WHEN WHEELS ARE TURNED COMPLETELY LEFT OR RIGHT. AND YOU CAN HEAR THE RUBBING SQUEAKY NOISE MORE WHEN GOING ON BUMP WITH WHEELS TURN. NOISE GOES AWAY AFTER DRIVING AND WARMED UP. MORE THAN LIKELY UPPER SUSPENSION STRUT BEARING GOING BAD PREMATURELY. THIS CAUSES WHEEL ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS.”
NHTSA complaint #11320884, 2020
Wheels 3
“I HAD MY 3RD FLAT TIRE IN A PARKING LOT, MY HUSBAND CAME TO CHANGE MY TIRE, HE USED THE BREAKER BAR HE USED BEFORE (ONLY WAY TO GET TIRE OFF) AND 4 BEARINGS BROKE, THIS LED TO ME NEEDING A WHOLE NEW HUB ASSEMBLY AND TIRE, I DON'T FEEL THAT A 2 YEAR OLD CAR SHOULD NEED A NEW HUB ASSEMBLY ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE TIRE REPLACEMENT TOOLS THAT COME WITH THE CAR DO NOT WORK WHEN TRYING TO TAKE THE TIRE OFF MY BILL WAS OVER $600 AND THE CAR IS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD”
NHTSA complaint #11278910, 2019
“I WROTE THE FOLLOWING DESCRIPTION OF WHAT HAPPENED TO MAZDA CUSTOMER SERVICES: ON THE EVENING OF DECEMBER 4, 2018, I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK. I WAS DRIVING 75 MPH, THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT FOR THAT STRETCH OF TEXAS HIGHWAY. THE SURFACE OF THE ROAD IS BRAND NEW AND DRIVING CONDITIONS WERE IDEAL. AT APPROXIMATELY 6:10 PM, ABOUT 10 MILES FROM HOME, THERE WAS A LOUD THUD AND MY CAR DROPPED AND LURCHED TOWARD THE CENTER LINE. I THOUGHT I HAD HIT SOMETHING HUGE, AND EXPECTED TO FIND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO MY CAR AND A SHREDDED TIRE. I MANAGED TO KEEP THE CAR UNDER CONTROL AND AVOID BEING H…”
NHTSA complaint #11163194, 2018
“AS I DROVE ALONG A MAJOR ROUTE, I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT. WHEN ITTURNEDGREEN, I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE FORWARD AND FELT CAR PULLING TO RIGHT SIDE. AS MY SPEED INCREASED TO 25, THE PULL BECAME STRONGER BUT, I PROCEEDED SLOWLY AND REMAINED UNDER 30MPH. AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE, I HEARD THREE TONE ALERTS FOLLOWED BY LOW PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT. PULLED OVER, CALLED AAA WHO REPLACED FLAT TIRE. THE SIDEWALL WAS SPIDERED PATTERN AND BLOWN. THIS MORNING, I NOTICED THAT ANOTHER TIRE HAS THAT SAME SPIDER PATTERN BUT IS NOT BLOWN OUT. I CONTACTED DUNLOP TO INQUIRE IF THERE ANY RECALL AND WAS IN…”
NHTSA complaint #11064669, 2018
Air Bags 2
“WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT BEGAN TO BLINK ON THE DRIVER DISPLAY. AFTER REACHING MY DESTINATION AND AFTER TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE AND TURNING IT BACK ON THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT DISAPPEARED AND DID NOT COME BACK ON.”
NHTSA complaint #11054988, 2017
Steering 2 1 crash
“SO I HAVE VISITED MAZDA DEALER IN CERRITOS. FEW TIMES SINCE I PURCHASED CAR I HAVE BEEN TELLING THEM ABOUT MY CAR JERKING TO THE SIDE WHILE DRIVING ITS LIKE A WOBBLE EFFECT THEY SAID CAR WAS FINE I INSISTED TO GET IT CHECKED AND THEY DIDNT SONI WENT BACK AND TOLD THEM I WANTED FULL CHECK THEY SAID FOR WHATBITS A NEW CAR I SAID I DONT FEEL SAFE WITH MY CAR JERKIN TO SIDE AND MAKING ME COME CLOSE TO SIDE SWIPE OTHER CARS. ON THE FREEWAY THEY CHECKED IT MILDLY I SAY THAT BECAUSE THEY DIDNT LAST NOT EVEN AN HOUR WHEN I GOT CAR RETURNED TO ME THE PROBLWM CONTINUED INRECENTLY GOT AN A ACCIDENT DUE T…”
NHTSA complaint #11102912, 2018 · crash
“HORN FAILED INTERMITTENTLY STARTING AFTER ODOMETER HIT 36000 MILES AND WHEN BROUGHT IN FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE IT PASSED ALL CHECKS; MAY 2020 WHILE DRIVING WHEN STEERING WHEEL HORN WAS PRESSED THE HORN SORT OF 'WHINED' IN AUGUST, WHILE DRIVING WHEN HORN WAS PRESSED IT WOULD WHINE AND DONE IT SMELLED LIKE SOMETHING BURNING; NOW, IF YOU PRESS HORN IT DOESN'T WORK BUT IT SMELLS LIKE LIKE SOMETHING IS BURNING LIKE A CIGARETTE SMOLDERING( THERE IS CLEARLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH EUTH THE STEERING OR ELECTRICAL RELAY SOMETIMES . MAZDA WON'T ASSIST WITH THIS ISSUE SAYING NOTHING IS WRONG - THIS IS A…”
NHTSA complaint #11399635, 2021
Vehicle Speed Control 2 1 crash
“THE ENGINE BEGAN REVVING HIGH AS I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND APPLY THE BRAKES AS I APPROACHED A TRAFFIC RED LIGHT. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL TO SEE IF BY TAPPING THE GAS PEDAL IT WOULD STOP REVVING. IT DID NOT. WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR, I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND THE CAR SPED FORWARD DESPITE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I WENT THROUGH A RED LIGHT TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN ON TO A MAJOR HIGHWAY, CROSSED A MEDIAN STRIP, CLIPPED A VEHICLE IN THE REAR, TURNED THE CAR TRYING TO AVOID COLLISIONS WITH OTHER CARS, WENT OFF THE ROAD HITTING UTILITY POLE AND TRANSFORMER…”
NHTSA complaint #11115710, 2018 · crash
“WHEN FROM A FULL STOP, THEN WITH WHEN NEEDING TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY, THERE IS A DELAY IN ENGINE RESPONSE. USUALLY HALF A SECOND TO ONE FULL SECOND DELAY IN ENGINE RESPONSE BEFORE IT STARTS TO ACCELERATE. ONE ONE OCCASION, IT DID NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL. I HAD TO THEN LET MY FOOT OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL AND PRESS DOWN ON THE GAS AGAIN FOR IT TO FINALLY ACCELERATE. THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS FOR EXAMPLE WHEN I WAS ON THE FREEWAY. MY LANE WAS STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC, BUT THE LANE TO MY RIGHT WAS OPEN, SO I WAITED TILL IT WAS CLEAR THEN TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND PRESS THE GAS PEDAL. WEL…”
NHTSA complaint #11101965, 2018
Electronic Stability Control (Esc) 1
“ENGINE SHUT DOWN IN TRAFFIC AND WOULD NOT COME OUT OF DRIVE. MAZDA DEALER SERVICE TOLD ME TO DISCONNECT BATTERY TO RESET SYSTEM. I THINK THIS IS SAFETY ISSUE. PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH ANSWER”
NHTSA complaint #11066024, 2018
Equipment 1
“The electrical system in the dashboard will randomly Make its own decisions. It will choose to make phone calls or change and set radio stations. while becoming more frequent more items from the console are getting involved. my concern is that whatever's going on will start to involve the instrument panel causing the car to mechanically do things on its own. I apologize in advance if this is not considered a safety issue. thank you for your time.”
NHTSA complaint #11491064, 2022
Exterior Lighting 1
“Many modern trucks, SUVs, and cars use LED headlights that are excessively bright and create dangerous glare. When approaching these vehicles from the opposite direction, the headlights can be blinding — similar to having a flashlight shined directly into your eyes — causing temporary loss of visibility. The glare also affects drivers traveling in the same direction, as the intense light reflects sharply off rear‑view and side mirrors. This creates a persistent distraction and makes it difficult to maintain safe awareness of the road. This issue is widespread across many vehicle types and ap…”
NHTSA complaint #11731744, 2026
Lane Departure 1
“VEHICLES CENTER CONSOLE DISPLAY SCREEN SUFFERS FROM GHOST TOUCHES. THE DISPLAY REGISTERS INPUTS FROM THE TOUCHSCREEN WITH NO ONE TOUCHING THE DISPLAY THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE THAT IS ON THE 14-16 VERSIONS OF THIS VEHICLE. THE DISPLAY SELF NAVIGATES CAUSING A SUBSTANTIAL DISTRACTION AND INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF A CRASH. AS WELL ON A FEW INSTANCES SELF NAVIGATES THROUGH THE MENU AND SOMETIMES ENABLES OR DIABLES ADAS SYSTEM FEATURES COLLISION PREVENTION ETC.”
NHTSA complaint #11530520, 2023
Seats 1
“Power seat sliding mechanism on drivers side when actuating the forward and reverse lever is extremely noisy. The noise started at around 45000 miles when the car was 3 years old. I was able to make the repair myself after finding a tsb on nhtsa.gov. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2018/MC-10143977-9999.pdf. Required part # can found in this tsb. The original part is defective. Dealer will make the repair for $800 plus. You can do it yourself for $25. The actual repair is extremely simple. Also there is no reason to remove the seat bolts as done in the tsb.”
NHTSA complaint #11421735, 2020
How we read this (methodology)
How to read this: raw complaint totals are not a clean reliability score — a model year with more cars sold, or simply more years on the road, accumulates more complaints regardless of how good it is. So this page leans on two signals that are not distorted by sales volume: the share of complaints falling on each vehicle system (the breakdown above) and NHTSA's own crash / fire / injury / death flags. When we compare model years of the same model, we normalise by years on the road (complaints ÷ vehicle age) rather than comparing raw totals. Age-normalised, the 2017 Mazda Mazda3 draws about 8.3 complaints per year on the road, ranking 9 of 15 among the Mazda Mazda3 model years we have ingested (1 = most complaints per year on road).
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Related
Data source: U.S. NHTSA (nhtsa.gov). SaveVIN surfaces public recall data and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NHTSA.