2023 Mazda Mazda3 Problems & Owner Complaints

Electrical System 3 2 crash 1 fire 1 injury

“On 14th, 2026, while traveling at approximately 60 mph on the northbound 55 Freeway near the Katella exit, my vehicle suddenly began to shake violently without any prior warning. In response, I attempted to slow down by applying the brakes; however, the speedometer rapidly increased even as I maintained firm pressure on the brake pedal. Immediately afterward, the vehicle pulled sharply to the left, causing a complete loss of steering control and resulting in a collision with the center median barrier. Despite the force of the impact, the airbags did not deploy, raising additional concerns abou…”
NHTSA complaint #11712753, 2026 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I was driving on the highway and decided to switch int the left lane so I sped up and heard a big bang and what sounded like my bumper being dragged against the ground. I see on my dashboard that there’s an electrical and engine malfunction so I pullover and pop the hood. A bunch of smoke comes out and i see a little fire so me and my friends run and call the police. The police and firefighters arrived just as the fire was getting large and it had engulfed the front right side of my car. If the notification that there was a malfunction didn’t come on, I feel as if we could’ve been hurt much wo…”
NHTSA complaint #11545514, 2023 · fire

“Automatic emergency braking suddenly engaged while driving on the highway. The car decelerated abruptly to a complete stop, causing the driver behind to rear-end me. There were no vehicles or obstacles in front of the car when the brakes engaged - the closest car was at least 100 feet in front of me. This collision was clearly the result of a faulty automatic emergency braking system. I do not feel safe driving the car knowing this malfunction could happen again, especially at highway speeds. Sudden unexplained braking presents a huge safety hazard to all drivers, increasing the likelihood for…”
NHTSA complaint #11522759, 2023 · crash

Power Train 3

“Transmission failure when driving. Car was towed to dealership and diagnosed. Transmission and torque converter replacement required under factory warranty. Very long lead time for dealer to acquire replacement parts, about 4 months.”
NHTSA complaint #11724188, 2026

“Cars lurches/jerks at low speeds when shifting 1-2 gears and sometimes rpm bounces up and down when downshifting.”
NHTSA complaint #11514104, 2023

“On three occasions thus far when the vehicle was started and placed in drive the transmission slipped terribly, the engine rpms would race when pressing the accelerator and the vehicle would move at no more than a few MPH. The problem is intermittent but can be inspected. The problem has occurred on public roads when stopped at a light or stop sign and I was unable to move forward again after stopping. The problem was reproduced by the dealer. The dealer had the vehicle for 29 days for repair attempts and returned it to me one day before my states lemon law would have been triggered. Ther…”
NHTSA complaint #11513226, 2023

Unknown Or Other 3 1 crash 1 fire 1 death

“The contact's daughter had rented a 2023 Mazda Mazda 3. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle veered off to the left side of the highway and side-swiped a cable system; the vehicle then crashed into the end cap of a guardrail. The vehicle then hydroplaned and hit a bridge pillar. The vehicle flipped as the contact's daughter was ejected from the vehicle and the vehicle landed on the roof in the grass next to the guardrail. The cause of the crash was unknown. The vehicle caught fire and was incinerated by the time authorities arrived on the…”
NHTSA complaint #11561121, 2023 · crash · fire · 1 death(s)

“My 2023 Mazda 3 started to have a more terrible and annoying rattle after 3000 miles. The engine will resonate and knock when it reaches a certain speed. The slow speed light throttle acceleration rattles. The most annoying thing is the multiple rattles inside, dash, door panels, and roof. It is like a can in the summer. What’s more terrible is that in the winter, its internal door panels, windows, and dash make a knocking sound like a screw is loose. I went to multiple Mazda dealers and it was obvious that they could not find and fix the issue. They either said they didn’t hear it or said it…”
NHTSA complaint #11628034, 2024

“It is the infotainment system but please, hear me out. The manual states that one is able to change channels by using the controls on the steering wheel. That is not the case. It actually is another feature NOT described in the manual. So now in order to change the channel, one must take their hand off the wheel and fidget with a selector and look at a screen (and also hope they are in the right menu section). This is not how most cars with this capability act. This is something that even the manual doesn't describe. This is a hazard, albeit not spontaneous because it leads to distract…”
NHTSA complaint #11527457, 2023

Engine 2 1 fire

“I was driving on the highway and decided to switch int the left lane so I sped up and heard a big bang and what sounded like my bumper being dragged against the ground. I see on my dashboard that there’s an electrical and engine malfunction so I pullover and pop the hood. A bunch of smoke comes out and i see a little fire so me and my friends run and call the police. The police and firefighters arrived just as the fire was getting large and it had engulfed the front right side of my car. If the notification that there was a malfunction didn’t come on, I feel as if we could’ve been hurt much wo…”
NHTSA complaint #11545514, 2023 · fire

“My 2023 Mazda 3 started to have a more terrible and annoying rattle after 3000 miles. The engine will resonate and knock when it reaches a certain speed. The slow speed light throttle acceleration rattles. The most annoying thing is the multiple rattles inside, dash, door panels, and roof. It is like a can in the summer. What’s more terrible is that in the winter, its internal door panels, windows, and dash make a knocking sound like a screw is loose. I went to multiple Mazda dealers and it was obvious that they could not find and fix the issue. They either said they didn’t hear it or said it…”
NHTSA complaint #11628034, 2024

Forward Collision Avoidance 2 1 crash

“Automatic emergency braking suddenly engaged while driving on the highway. The car decelerated abruptly to a complete stop, causing the driver behind to rear-end me. There were no vehicles or obstacles in front of the car when the brakes engaged - the closest car was at least 100 feet in front of me. This collision was clearly the result of a faulty automatic emergency braking system. I do not feel safe driving the car knowing this malfunction could happen again, especially at highway speeds. Sudden unexplained braking presents a huge safety hazard to all drivers, increasing the likelihood for…”
NHTSA complaint #11522759, 2023 · crash

“The active braking support feature of this vehicle falsely warns me of an imminent collision. It happens pretty often, the system is obviously not quite smart enough. Last week, while accelerating away from a stop light in moderately heavy traffic, the active braking system APPLIED THE BRAKES in a panic manner, causing the vehicle to almost come to a complete stop, and I missed being rear-ended by the car behind me by inches. There appears to be no method to permanently deactivate this "safety" feature. I can turn it off through a series of menus in the infotainment system, but each time I sta…”
NHTSA complaint #11638015, 2025

Service Brakes 2 2 crash 1 injury

“On 14th, 2026, while traveling at approximately 60 mph on the northbound 55 Freeway near the Katella exit, my vehicle suddenly began to shake violently without any prior warning. In response, I attempted to slow down by applying the brakes; however, the speedometer rapidly increased even as I maintained firm pressure on the brake pedal. Immediately afterward, the vehicle pulled sharply to the left, causing a complete loss of steering control and resulting in a collision with the center median barrier. Despite the force of the impact, the airbags did not deploy, raising additional concerns abou…”
NHTSA complaint #11712753, 2026 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“Automatic emergency braking suddenly engaged while driving on the highway. The car decelerated abruptly to a complete stop, causing the driver behind to rear-end me. There were no vehicles or obstacles in front of the car when the brakes engaged - the closest car was at least 100 feet in front of me. This collision was clearly the result of a faulty automatic emergency braking system. I do not feel safe driving the car knowing this malfunction could happen again, especially at highway speeds. Sudden unexplained braking presents a huge safety hazard to all drivers, increasing the likelihood for…”
NHTSA complaint #11522759, 2023 · crash

Air Bags 1 1 crash 1 fire 1 death

“The contact's daughter had rented a 2023 Mazda Mazda 3. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle veered off to the left side of the highway and side-swiped a cable system; the vehicle then crashed into the end cap of a guardrail. The vehicle then hydroplaned and hit a bridge pillar. The vehicle flipped as the contact's daughter was ejected from the vehicle and the vehicle landed on the roof in the grass next to the guardrail. The cause of the crash was unknown. The vehicle caught fire and was incinerated by the time authorities arrived on the…”
NHTSA complaint #11561121, 2023 · crash · fire · 1 death(s)

Exterior Lighting 1

“While driving in snow storm I had to pull over and I noticed lights were covered with snow . LED lights will not produce heat to melt snow The lip above and the ledge below traps the snow and with the way the headlights are set up the snow sticks on the lights which affects visibility creating a safety issue. Same thing happens in rain. I have been to a parts store and a mechanic shop Both shops said this is a poor design. The lip and lower ledge trap the snow and LED lights will not melt the snow. This vehicle would be unsafe to drive in a snowstorm because of poor vision. Thank you”
NHTSA complaint #11530568, 2023

Steering 1 1 crash 1 injury

“On 14th, 2026, while traveling at approximately 60 mph on the northbound 55 Freeway near the Katella exit, my vehicle suddenly began to shake violently without any prior warning. In response, I attempted to slow down by applying the brakes; however, the speedometer rapidly increased even as I maintained firm pressure on the brake pedal. Immediately afterward, the vehicle pulled sharply to the left, causing a complete loss of steering control and resulting in a collision with the center median barrier. Despite the force of the impact, the airbags did not deploy, raising additional concerns abou…”
NHTSA complaint #11712753, 2026 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Structure 1 1 fire

“I was driving on the highway and decided to switch int the left lane so I sped up and heard a big bang and what sounded like my bumper being dragged against the ground. I see on my dashboard that there’s an electrical and engine malfunction so I pullover and pop the hood. A bunch of smoke comes out and i see a little fire so me and my friends run and call the police. The police and firefighters arrived just as the fire was getting large and it had engulfed the front right side of my car. If the notification that there was a malfunction didn’t come on, I feel as if we could’ve been hurt much wo…”
NHTSA complaint #11545514, 2023 · fire

Tires 1

“The contact owns a 2023 Mazda Mazda3 equipped with Bridgestone Tires, Tire Line: Turanza EL440, Tire Size: 215/45/R18, DOT Number: [XXX] . The contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle, it was discovered that the front passenger’s side tire had developed a sidewall bubble and the tire was replaced. Later the front driver's side tire had developed a sidewall bubble and was replaced. The contact later discovered the same failure had occurred on the replacement tire located on the front passenger’s side. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer wer…”
NHTSA complaint #11598023, 2024