Owner-reported complaints naming the suspension system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2012 Mazda Mazda3 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER VEHICLE AND THE FRONT CV AXLE COMPLETELY SNAPPED IN HALF. STILL NOT SURE WHAT COULD HAVE POSSIBLY OCCURED BEING THERE IS NO ACCIDENT REPORT ON THIS VEHICLE. PERHAPS THE PART WAS CORRODED OR FAULTY.
THE REAR SHOCKS HAVE AN UPPER ATTACHMENT THAT IS MADE OUT OF ALUMINUM. AFTER ONLY 49000 MILES THE SHOCK MOUNT CORRODED AND BROKE. IT ALSO CAUSED THE SHOCK ROD TO BEND.
TOLD BY MAZDA TECHNICIAN THAT RIGHT REAR SWAY BAR LINK IS DEFECTIVE- FAILING, AND CAUSING A CLUNKING NOISE. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 54K MILES ON IT, NOTICED THE NOISE AROUND 52K MILES
MY CAR WAS T-BONE, IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DRIVEN. MY DAUGHTER WAS MADE TO DRIVE THE DAMAGED CAR HOME INSTEAD OF USING A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE IT TO THE NEAREST BODY SHOP. THE SUSPENSION WAS BENT COMPLETELY INWARDS (DOUGHNUT TIRE WAS USED TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME WITH A BENT SUSPENSION). I WAS TOLD BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THE NEAREST SHOP THEY DO BUSINESS WITH, AND I DID. I ASKED THE SUPERVISOR/ADJUSTER TO TOTAL THE CAR BEFORE EVER SEEING THE INTERNAL DAMAGE. I KNEW THE CAR COULD NOT BE REPAIRED BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS, ALMOST NEW CONDITION. WE WENT BACK AND FORWARD ABOUT TOTALING THE CAR. HE REFUSED TO TOTAL ONLY AFTER PLEADING WITH HIM, HE AGREED TO DO SO. AFTER SEEING THE CAR STRIPPED FROM LID OF TRUNK, TIRES OFF, I SAW THE RIGHT TIRE COMPLETELY BENT INWARD. I WAS TOLD IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THAT WAY. I TOLD THE ADJUSTER I DID NOT WANT THE CAR THAT IT IS DESTROYED, AGAIN I ASKED HIM TO TOTAL THE CAR. HE SAID NO, THE CAR COULD BE REPAIRED. I WAS ASSURED BY THE BODY SHOP OWNER THAT HE WOULD REPAIR IT BACK 100%. HE DID NOT. THE SHOP KEPT MY CAR APPROX. 2 MONTHS FROM THE 15 DAYS PROMISED TO BE FIXED. I PICKED UP THE CAR ON 6/24/15. MY DAUGHTER AND I EXAMINED IT AND THE BACK SEAT PULLED AWAY FROM THE BACK AND BASE OF THE SEAT; WOULD NOT STAY LOCKED DOWN. IT PULLED COMPLETELY AWAY FROM THE BACK, OUT, AND UP; TAIL LIGHTS DID NOT WORK; SUSPENSION WAS UNBALANCED, THE CAR PULLED LEFT. THE RIGHT SUSPENSION WAS LOWER ABOUT 5/8" LOWER THAN THE LEFT SUSPENSION; NAIL IN TIRE WHICH MADE THE TIRE SENSOR LIGHT STAY ON; CAR SMELLED OFFER INSIDE; IT WAS NOT WASHED BEFORE GIVEN BACK TO ME; PAINT HAD DRIPPED AND DRIED UP AT THE BASE OF THE CAR WHERE REPAIR WORK HAD BEEN DONE; RIGHT DOOR DID NOT ALIGN; BACK PANEL DID NOT ALIGN; SUSPENSION WAS NOT COATED, LEFT TO RUST OUT; RADIO HAD BEEPING SOUND WHEN CHANGING STATIONS; MY DAUGHTER HAS 13 MONTH OLD WHO RIDES IN THE CAR.
PURCHASED AS CERTIFIED PREOWNED FROM LOCAL MAZDA DEALER. PREMATURE TIRE CUPPING OF REAR TIRES. RESULT IN TIRE ROAD NOISE, UNEVEN WEAR, EARLY REPLACEMENT. REAR CAMBER SETTING IS POSSIBLE ISSUE EXPRESSED "UNOFFICIALLY" BY MAZDA MECHANIC.
AFTER A MECHANICS CHECK IT WAS FOUND: 1) SLIGHT FEATHERING/EDGEWEAR/CUPPING ON ALL TIRE'S AND 2) POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ON IGN ON HOWEVER CLEARS ON ENGINE START. THIS IS ALL DESPITE FULL MAINTENANCE HISTORY AS PER MAZDA GUIDELINES. THE PROBLEM CAUSES SIGNIFICANT TIRE NOISE WHEN DRIVING. ALTHOUGH TIRE THREAD ON THE VEHICLE IS AT 87%, IT WAS RECOMMENDED TO REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES AT TIME OF INSPECTION. WHEEL ALIGNMENT SHOWS THE VEHICLE IS WITHIN FACTORY GUIDELINES FOR THE VEHICLE. POSSIBLE ISSUE COULD BE FLAWS IN SHOCK/STRUT MANUFACTURING AS THE VEHICLE IS WELL WITHIN REPLACEMENT TIMEFRAME FOR THESE PARTS. *TR
I HAD A MECHANIC ROTATE MY TIRES AND NOTICED THE FRONT TIRES WERE MAKING ALOT OF NOISE. I RETURNED TO THE MECHANIC FOR AN INSPECTION AND HE SAID THAT THE TIRES CURRENTLY ON THE FRONT THAT WERE ON THE REAR HAVE SEVERE CUPPING PROBABLY DUE TO A SUSPENSION PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC RECOMMENDED TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALER ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO RECALL NOTICE FOR THE PROBLEM. I HAD THE MECHANIC ROTATE THE TIRES BACK. THE TIRES *TR
PREMATURE TIRE CUPPING OF REAR TIRES. ALL TIRES ROTATED ACCORDING TO MAZDA MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE. RESULT IN TIRE ROAD NOISE, UNEVEN WEAR, EARLY REPLACEMENT. REAR CAMBER SETTING IS POSSIBLE ISSUE. *TR
I HAVE ONLY OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR 10 MONTHS AND ON FEB 14, 2014 NOTICED THERE IS A CLUNKY SOUND AT THE BACK RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND FOUND UP THAT ALL SWAY BAR BOLTS WERE LOOSE. SERVICE MANAGER INDICATED THAT THE FACTORY DID NOT TIGHTENED IT PROPERLY. FOLLOWING WEEK NOTICED THAT MY DASHBOARD ABOVE THE COMPUTER STUFF WAS LIFTING/WARPING. THEY HAD REPLACED AND THE SERVICE ADVISOR MENTIONED THAT I AM THE 5TH MAZDA 3 2012 OWNER TO TAKE IT IN WITH THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE DASHBOARD. I HOPE NOTHING ELSE WILL START TO FALL APART. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .