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2019 Mazda Mazda3 Problems & Owner Complaints

73 NHTSA owner complaints
3 crash 1 injury

Age-normalised, this year draws ~9.1 complaints per year on the road — ranking 7 of 15 Mazda Mazda3 years we track (1 = most complaints per year).

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What owners report

Service Brakes is the most-reported problem area on the 2019 Mazda Mazda3, cited in 15 of 73 filed complaints (21%).

Electrical System is next (11 complaints, 15%), followed by Engine (11), Power Train (11), Forward Collision Avoidance (9).

Across all complaints, 3 report a crash, 1 report injuries.

The most safety-critical cluster is Service Brakes: 1 crash, 1 injury report(s).

Complaints by vehicle system

Owner complaints filed with the U.S. NHTSA for the 2019 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 73.

Service Brakes 15 1 crash 1 injury

“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 complaint #11278559, 2019 · 1 injury(ies)

“THESE ISSUES BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE SECOND MONTH I OWNED MY 2019 MAZDA 3 HATCHBACK. 1- SUSPENSIONS, THEY'RE VERY ROUGH & HARSH., THEY BOUNCE SO MUCH FOR NO REASON, I DAMAGED ONE TIRE ALREADY WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON I476 NORMAL HIGHWAY WHERE I STEPPED ON NORMAL POTHOLE ENDED UP DAMAGING MY TIRE, SUSPENSIONS ARE REALLY DANGERS ON ALL ROADS. 2- "ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL" THIS FEATURE MANY TIMES ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, REAR END SPECIALLY ON HIGHWAYS. FOR SOME REASON IT DOESN'T DETECT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WHEN I HAVE AUTO CRUISE ENABLED, NO RAIN CLEAR WEATHER, THIS BEEN REPORTED MORE THAN 5…”
NHTSA complaint #11325706, 2019 · crash

“To whom it may concern, I was on a back road late in the evening not far from home [XXX] and a small deer ran into the road. I needed to brake to avoid hitting the deer. After breaking, a Brake System Malfunction warning message and i-ACTIVESENSE System Malfunction warning illuminated on my dashboard. I brought the car to a Mazda dealership the next morning. The technician determined that the brake fluid level sensor became stuck, requiring replacement of the brake fluid reservoir and the brake fluid level sensor. What failed: The repairs include replacement of the Brake Fluid Reservoir an…”
NHTSA complaint #11678802, 2025

Unknown Or Other 15 1 crash 1 injury

“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 complaint #11278559, 2019 · 1 injury(ies)

“JAN. 23, 2020. 10:45 AM. I WAS ON MY STREET, A NARROW RESIDENTIAL STREET, PREPARING TO BACK IN MY GARAGE. IN ORDER TO DO THAT ON THIS NARROW STREET, I TOUCHED THE LIP OF THE DRIVEWAY ACROSS THE STREET. SPEED WELL UNDER 3 MPH. WHEN I DID SO, MY CAR SUDDENLY SHARPLY ACCELERATED AND AT THE SAME TIME SWERVED TO THE RIGHT. THE ACCELERATION AND SWERVE DROVE THE CAR INTO THE TOWNHOUSES ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY HOUSE. THE DRIVEWAYS ARE VERY SHORT, BARELY A CAR'S LENGTH. AFTER CRASHING, I COULD FEEL THE CAR STILL ACCELERATING. I QUICKLY SWITCHED THE CAR INTO PARK AND THE SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION CO…”
NHTSA complaint #11309582, 2020 · crash

“Driver side door handle failed. Cannot enter or exit through driver side door. If something were to happen that we need to get out in an emergency situation we cannot exit through the driver side door. No damage occurred. Just stopped working”
NHTSA complaint #11701705, 2025

Electrical System 11

“The vehicle's battery has gone dead on several occasions since replacing the OEM battery. The OEM battery which was approximately 3 years old, also had gone dead, prompting its replacement. The battery has gone dead within 1-2 days of not using the car. Charging the battery by running it is only a temporary fix as the car needs to be constantly driven in order to charge the battery, which is not usual and customary for the maintenance of a vehicle. This cannot be functioning to manufacturer's specifications, as I find it extremely difficult to believe that manufacturer's specifications stipula…”
NHTSA complaint #11545284, 2023

“The contact owns a 2019 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that after pulling over to the shoulder the vehicle would not immediately restart. The contact stated that approximately five minutes later, the vehicle restarted without pressing the start button. The contact stated that the message "Network Malfunction" was displayed. The contact stated that several electrical malfunctions had previously occurred with the vehicle including the front windshield wipers independently activating, with the head…”
NHTSA complaint #11500760, 2023

“the vehicle started surging at low soeeds and accelarating and control module issues for the transmission”
NHTSA complaint #11461434, 2022

Engine 11 1 crash

“THESE ISSUES BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE SECOND MONTH I OWNED MY 2019 MAZDA 3 HATCHBACK. 1- SUSPENSIONS, THEY'RE VERY ROUGH & HARSH., THEY BOUNCE SO MUCH FOR NO REASON, I DAMAGED ONE TIRE ALREADY WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON I476 NORMAL HIGHWAY WHERE I STEPPED ON NORMAL POTHOLE ENDED UP DAMAGING MY TIRE, SUSPENSIONS ARE REALLY DANGERS ON ALL ROADS. 2- "ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL" THIS FEATURE MANY TIMES ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, REAR END SPECIALLY ON HIGHWAYS. FOR SOME REASON IT DOESN'T DETECT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WHEN I HAVE AUTO CRUISE ENABLED, NO RAIN CLEAR WEATHER, THIS BEEN REPORTED MORE THAN 5…”
NHTSA complaint #11325706, 2019 · crash

“This began on 10.19.24 and as of 11.03.24 is ongoing and not repaired. On 10/19/24, while I was at a red light, the RPMs on my vehicle went up and down repeatedly. After I arrived at my destination, which was about a half mile away, and put the car in park, the RPMs repeatedly went up and down between 1,000 and 2,000 RPMs and the check engine light came on, and a message displayed saying malfunction - have the vehicle inspected. I spent $100 at my mechanic who could not pinpoint the issue. After I picked up the car, I stopped to get gas and then my battery died. I then decided to take my car t…”
NHTSA complaint #11623354, 2024

“I had an oil change back in April of 2024. I have been driving the last couple of days and after about 15 minutes my low oil light comes. this car has 58.800 miles on it. I stopped at a oil express to see if I was low on oil but they said I was at full. I also checked to see if they saw anything leaking but they also said they didn't see anything. if the gasket is bad 58,000 that is telling me it's a faulty product. I'm afraid that my engine could lock up on the highway and cause a bad accident.”
NHTSA complaint #11592585, 2024

Power Train 11

“I noticed oil was leaking and my engine was steaming after driving. My mechanic found a crack in a cylinder after watching YouTube and finding out Mazda has this issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11580786, 2024

“The contact owns a 2019 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power with the vehicle network malfunction, vehicle inspection”, the check engine warning light and all the safety features were disabled, and the windshield wipers turned on independently. The contact was able to pull over on the side of the road. The contact mentioned that the gear shifter failed to shift out of park(P) and the vehicle was turned off. The vehicle was restarted, and the contact was able to operate the vehicle normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic tes…”
NHTSA complaint #11528488, 2023

“the vehicle started surging at low soeeds and accelarating and control module issues for the transmission”
NHTSA complaint #11461434, 2022

Forward Collision Avoidance 9 1 crash

“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 complaint #11277532, 2019 · crash

“To whom it may concern, I was on a back road late in the evening not far from home [XXX] and a small deer ran into the road. I needed to brake to avoid hitting the deer. After breaking, a Brake System Malfunction warning message and i-ACTIVESENSE System Malfunction warning illuminated on my dashboard. I brought the car to a Mazda dealership the next morning. The technician determined that the brake fluid level sensor became stuck, requiring replacement of the brake fluid reservoir and the brake fluid level sensor. What failed: The repairs include replacement of the Brake Fluid Reservoir an…”
NHTSA complaint #11678802, 2025

“the vehicle started surging at low soeeds and accelarating and control module issues for the transmission”
NHTSA complaint #11461434, 2022

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Fuel/Propulsion System 8 1 crash

“JAN. 23, 2020. 10:45 AM. I WAS ON MY STREET, A NARROW RESIDENTIAL STREET, PREPARING TO BACK IN MY GARAGE. IN ORDER TO DO THAT ON THIS NARROW STREET, I TOUCHED THE LIP OF THE DRIVEWAY ACROSS THE STREET. SPEED WELL UNDER 3 MPH. WHEN I DID SO, MY CAR SUDDENLY SHARPLY ACCELERATED AND AT THE SAME TIME SWERVED TO THE RIGHT. THE ACCELERATION AND SWERVE DROVE THE CAR INTO THE TOWNHOUSES ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY HOUSE. THE DRIVEWAYS ARE VERY SHORT, BARELY A CAR'S LENGTH. AFTER CRASHING, I COULD FEEL THE CAR STILL ACCELERATING. I QUICKLY SWITCHED THE CAR INTO PARK AND THE SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION CO…”
NHTSA complaint #11309582, 2020 · crash

“Shown engine light on dashboard and Car was struggling to run while pressing the gas, took to the mazda dealership and they told low pressure and high pressure fuel pump needs to be replaced.”
NHTSA complaint #11574327, 2024

“Check engine light appeared then I had a dead battery. I purchased a new one and the check engine light went away for a while until now. Then I found a letter online that I never received of a recall for california vehicles that were manufactured during specific dates. Mine is listed as one but it does not have an active recall.”
NHTSA complaint #11495401, 2022

Visibility/Wiper 8

“The driver-side sun visor has suffered an internal mechanical failure where the internal plastic tension components have cracked under normal use. As a direct result, the sun visor will not stay up and randomly drops down completely unprompted while the vehicle is in motion. This creates an immediate, sudden, and dangerous visibility hazard by blocking my forward view of the road while driving.Mazda has formally recognized this specific engineering defect across 2019–2025 Mazda 3 vehicles in Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) MC-11016209-0001, explicitly stating that the internal stay components…”
NHTSA complaint #11747084, 2026

“I was sitting in the car while the ignition was off. I hit the rearview mirror slightly and it fell off.”
NHTSA complaint #11429136, 2021

“VEHICLE IN MOTION AT 65 MPH. VERY SMALL ROCK CHIP BREAKS GLASS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT CALLING FOR COMPLETE REPLACEMENT. GLASS IS HIGHLY FRAGILE AND TOO THIN. SECOND OCCURRENCE IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR.”
NHTSA complaint #11390068, 2021

Air Bags 6

“1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The airbag system, specifically the curtain airbags and related airbag control components, malfunctioned by deploying spontaneously without any collision or impact. The vehicle and deployed airbags are still available and can be inspected upon request. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The spontaneous deployment of all four curtain airbags created an immediate safety hazard. Airbag deployment can cause injury, disorientation, or loss of control, especially if it occur…”
NHTSA complaint #11711782, 2025

“A few weeks ago the following error message popped up on my dashboard: “Airbag Malfunction. Have vehicle inspected”. This message came and went intermittently whenever I had a passenger in the vehicle. I scheduled and appointment at my local Mazda dealership service center and in the meantime looked up the issue and found that it was extremely common and caused by a design flaw where the wire harness to the seat airbags was too short causing eventual failure. The issue was so prominent that Mazda even issued a service bulletin on how to fix it which included replacing the wire harness and ad…”
NHTSA complaint #11631133, 2024

“I BELIEVE I STILL HAVE A TAKATA AIR BAG INSTALLED IN MY CAR. WHEN THERE WAS AN ORIGINAL QUESTION, MAZDA ONLY INSPECTED THE AIRBAG. IS IT OK AND SAFE FOR ME TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THE TAKATA AIR BAG OR SHOULD IT BE REPLACED?”
NHTSA complaint #11399653, 2021

Structure 5

“The car has had a lot of issues. The inside driver side glass for the display dash fogged up and had to be replaced. The first replacement didn’t fix it and I had to threaten legal action to get Mazda to replace the glass a second time before it finally resolved the issue. The car (which is washed and waxed weekly), got rust on it in year 3. Mazda repaired it and promised it would not return. 14 months later the rust is back and Mazda won’t repair it. I have escalated with no avail. I have had to replace the air conditioning fan for over $1K. I bought the car brand new with 59 miles on it, I…”
NHTSA complaint #11609228, 2022

“I PURCHASED MY 2019 MAZDA3 HATCHBACK BRAND NEW LAST SEPT (2019). THIS SUMMER I NOTICED THE REAR DRIVER SIDE DOOR WAS DIFFICULT TO OPEN FULLY. IT SEEMED TO BE BINDING AT THE HINGE. HOWEVER, ON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I REALIZED THE FRONT EDGE OF THE DOOR WAS ACTUALLY HITTING/RUBBING AGAINST THE BACK EDGE OF THE FRONT DOOR! THIS HAD NOT BEEN AN ISSUE FOR THE FIRST FEW MONTHS I OWED THE VEHICLE. I ATTRIBUTED IT TO EITHER A SETTLING OF THE STRUCTURAL FRAME OF THE CAR OR AN EXPANSION OF THE DOORS DUE TO THE SUMMER HEAT. EITHER ONE I BELIEVE ARE CAUSE FOR ACTION BY THE MANUFACTURER. I HAVE NOW…”
NHTSA complaint #11353601, 2020

“DOOR GAP BETWEEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AND THE DRIVER SIDE REAR DOOR IS TOO SMALL. WHEN TEMPERATURES EXCEED 75 DEGREES F AND THE CAR IS PARKED IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT, THE DOOR EXPANDS AND IT WILL RUB ONTO THE REAR DOOR B PILLAR WEATHERSTRIPPING. DOOR BECOMES HARD TO OPEN FROM THE INSIDE WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THE B PILLAR REAR DOOR TRIM IS PRESSED UP SO HARD AGAINST THE DRIVER DOOR THAT THE WEATHER SEAL NEAR THE TOP WILL START TO PREMATURELY WEAR OUT. ON CERTAIN OCCASIONS, THE DRIVER DOOR EXPAND SO MUCH THAT THE REAR DOOR B PILLAR TRIM WILL ALMOST COME OFF. DEALER REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS…”
NHTSA complaint #11323266, 2020

Steering 3 1 crash

“JAN. 23, 2020. 10:45 AM. I WAS ON MY STREET, A NARROW RESIDENTIAL STREET, PREPARING TO BACK IN MY GARAGE. IN ORDER TO DO THAT ON THIS NARROW STREET, I TOUCHED THE LIP OF THE DRIVEWAY ACROSS THE STREET. SPEED WELL UNDER 3 MPH. WHEN I DID SO, MY CAR SUDDENLY SHARPLY ACCELERATED AND AT THE SAME TIME SWERVED TO THE RIGHT. THE ACCELERATION AND SWERVE DROVE THE CAR INTO THE TOWNHOUSES ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY HOUSE. THE DRIVEWAYS ARE VERY SHORT, BARELY A CAR'S LENGTH. AFTER CRASHING, I COULD FEEL THE CAR STILL ACCELERATING. I QUICKLY SWITCHED THE CAR INTO PARK AND THE SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION CO…”
NHTSA complaint #11309582, 2020 · crash

“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…”
NHTSA complaint #11241916, 2019

“ON JUNE 6, 2019 AT ABOUT 6:45PM WHILE DRIVING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON THE TRANSITION FROM THE 241 FWY TO THE 91 FWY I RECEIVED AN ERROR ON MY DASH (ATTACHMENT 1) THREE TIMES WITHIN ABOUT 10 MINS "PUSH BUTTON START MALFUNCTION"" THE CAR DID NOT STOP, OVER HEAT OR MALFUNCTION IN SUCH A WAY TO PREVENT ME FROM DRIVING TO MY DESTINATION, WHICH WAS 15 MILES AWAY ON JUNE 7, 2019 ON MY WAY TO WORK TRAVELING AT ABOUT 65 MILES AN HOUR ON THE 5 FWY AT ABOUT 10 AM IN THE MORNING WITH THERE BEING NO VEHICLES AROUND THE CAR THE CAR DID AN EMERGENCY BREAK I KNOW THIS FROM THE DASH DISPLAY WHICH SHOWED A B…”
NHTSA complaint #11219653, 2019

Electronic Stability Control (Esc) 2 1 crash

“THESE ISSUES BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE SECOND MONTH I OWNED MY 2019 MAZDA 3 HATCHBACK. 1- SUSPENSIONS, THEY'RE VERY ROUGH & HARSH., THEY BOUNCE SO MUCH FOR NO REASON, I DAMAGED ONE TIRE ALREADY WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON I476 NORMAL HIGHWAY WHERE I STEPPED ON NORMAL POTHOLE ENDED UP DAMAGING MY TIRE, SUSPENSIONS ARE REALLY DANGERS ON ALL ROADS. 2- "ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL" THIS FEATURE MANY TIMES ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, REAR END SPECIALLY ON HIGHWAYS. FOR SOME REASON IT DOESN'T DETECT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WHEN I HAVE AUTO CRUISE ENABLED, NO RAIN CLEAR WEATHER, THIS BEEN REPORTED MORE THAN 5…”
NHTSA complaint #11325706, 2019 · crash

“I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 30 MPH OR SLOWER IN A LIGHT RAIN ON A CITY STREET WHEN MY VEHICLE SAID THAT THE FRONT RADAR FAILED/UNABLE TO FUNCTION, ALL SAFETY SYSTEMS ARE NOW DISABLED. THIS LASTED FOR ABOUT 3-4 MINUTES AND THEN IT STARTED TO FUNCTION AGAIN BUT ONLY FOR 2 MINUTES AND THEN IT GAVE THE SAME MESSAGE AND DISABLED ALL MY SAFETY SYSTEMS WHILE AGAIN. IT STARTED TO FUNCTION AGAIN AS I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY WHICH IS WHY I WAS UNABLE TO GET A PHOTO. I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH LANE DEPARTURE WARNING AND WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPER SENSOR AND THE DOORS AND TRUNK LOCKING AND UNLOCK…”
NHTSA complaint #11286494, 2019

Exterior Lighting 2

“The contact owns a 2019 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that after pulling over to the shoulder the vehicle would not immediately restart. The contact stated that approximately five minutes later, the vehicle restarted without pressing the start button. The contact stated that the message "Network Malfunction" was displayed. The contact stated that several electrical malfunctions had previously occurred with the vehicle including the front windshield wipers independently activating, with the head…”
NHTSA complaint #11500760, 2023

“AUTOMATIC LIGHT MALFUNCTIONS WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED OUTSIDE UNDER THE BROAD DAY LIGHT. WHEN AUTOMATIC LIGHT MALFUNCTIONS, THE HEAD LIGHT TURNS ON AUTOMATICALLY AND DASH METER LIGHTING DIMS AUTOMATICALLY. WHEN THE DASH METER DIMS, I CAN NOT SEE THE SPEED OR ANYTHING WITHIN THE METER. HAVE TALKED TO MAZDA AND STATED THAT I NEED TO TURN ON AN A/C TO COOL THE SYSTEM DOWN. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS THAT I CAN NOT SEE THE SPEED METER. IT HAS HAPPENED FEW TIMES. *TR”
NHTSA complaint #11323384, 2020

Seat Belts 2

“The seat belt stopped retracting and no longer works, it was reported directly to the Mazda agency, but the warranty was not valid. The dealer said that the tensioners no longer work and the seat belt needs to be replaced.”
NHTSA complaint #11662114, 2024

“For the seat belt it does not retract back and there was no issue before. It suddenly stopped working and all of the seatbelt is out. This is a safety issue for anyone sitting in the front passenger seat. For the unknown part the button in the trunk to pull the back passenger seats down suddenly stopped working and no issues before then. I’m more concerned with the seat belt because this is a huge safety concern and issue. The seatbelt does not retract at all, leaving it completely extended and unusable. This issue occurred without any prior incident, accident, or external damage—it simply…”
NHTSA complaint #11650943, 2023

Seats 1

“HEATED SEAT SHUTS OFF RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING”
NHTSA complaint #11254802, 2019

Suspension 1

“I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO MULTIPLE MAZDA DEALERS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS WITH COMPLAINTS OF SOMETHING VERY WRONG WITH IT STRUCTURALLY, SPECIFICALLY IN THE SUSPENSION, DRIVELINE, ETC. EVERY TIME I PLEAD WITH THEM THAT I AM SCARED TO DEATH TO DRIVE THIS CAR BECAUSE I TRULY FEEL THAT I MIGHT DIE IN IT DUE TO ITS DEFECTS, BUT EVERY TIME I AM FORCED BACK INTO IT BECAUSE THEY SAY THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE MY CONCERN AND THAT THE CAR HAS NOTHING WRONG. I'VE CAUGHT FREEMAN MAZDA OF IRVING FALSIFYING THEIR INTERNAL WORK ORDERS AND GIVING ME ONES SHOWING THAT THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. MY BATTERY DIE…”
NHTSA complaint #11321363, 2020

Vehicle Speed Control 1

“RADAR CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTION AND SAFETY SYSTEMS MALFUNCTION FREQUENTLY. SAFETY SYSTEMS COMPLETELY DISABLE WITHOUT WARNING PERIODICALLY WHILE DRIVING. RADAR CRUISE CONTROL DOESN'T WORK RANDOMLY. MAZDA DEALERSHIP CAN'T REPLICATE THE ISSUE. OTHER 2019 MAZDA 3 OWNERS HAVE THE EXACT ISSUE AND NO RECALL OR FIX HAS BEEN ISSUED. *TR”
NHTSA complaint #11326172, 2020

Visibility 1

“GOT ALERT REGARDING AIR BAGS WHILE DRIVING. ALSO REAR MIRROR FELL OFF THE PLASTIC CASING WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY. THEY BOTH HAPPENED AT DIFFERENT INSTANCES. BUT BOTH HAPPENED WHEN I WAS DRIVING FREEWAY AND SCARED ME. TOOK INTO MAZDA DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT BOTH WERE KNOWN ISSUE AND AIRBAG ISSUE IS UNANNOUNCED RECALL.”
NHTSA complaint #11209904, 2019

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 2019 Mazda Mazda3 draws about 9.1 complaints per year on the road, ranking 7 of 15 among the Mazda Mazda3 model years we have ingested (1 = most complaints per year on road).

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