2019 Mazda Mazda3

Driver’s side seat belt would not retract.

NHTSA ID

11756042

Incident

Jul 31, 2026

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 crack. However, because Mazda has only issued a TSB and not a safety recall, out-of-warranty owners are forced to pay out-of-pocket to repair a component critical to safe driving visibility. This issue needs to be escalated to a formal safety recall before it causes an accident due to forward view obstruction.

NHTSA ID

11747084

Incident

Jun 28, 2026

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 occurs unexpectedly. Although the vehicle was stationary at the time, deployment without warning posed a serious risk of injury to occupants and could have resulted in a crash if it had occurred while driving. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The problem has not been reproduced, as the airbags have already deployed. However, the spontaneous deployment itself is clear evidence of a malfunction. The issue has not been resolved or repaired, and responsibility for repair has not been accepted. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? The incident was reported to Progressive Insurance, which denied coverage because there was no accident or collision. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer for defect analysis. No police inspection occurred because there was no crash or injury. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes. The airbag warning light was illuminated prior to the incident, indicating a potential system fault. Additionally, a strong chemical odor was noticed inside the vehicle immediately before deployment, originating from the front passenger side, moments before all four curtain airbags deployed.

NHTSA ID

11711782

Incident

Nov 5, 2025

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 ID

11701705

Incident

Oct 1, 2025

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 and the Brake Fluid Level Sensor. This is the link to the dealer report [XXX] . No one other than the dealer has inspected these parts to my knowledge. There was no accident of any kind. I personally felt unsafe after these parts failing and reached out to Mazda Customer Care to request investigation of the issue. The case manager just called me back today to say they could not help me. Mazda has denied warranty coverage, claiming the parts are not covered. However, I really do feel this is a critical safety system component that failed after normal emergency use with no collision or impact. Why I feel this is a safety concern: - The brake warning system became unreliable after a single emergency stop. - My car only has 42k miles and is in excellent condition and is fully dealer serviced. - A driver could lose the ability to receive proper brake system warnings if this failure occurs again. - A critical brake sensor should not fail under normal driving conditions, and its failure could lead to delayed driver response in an actual brake fluid loss scenario. It makes me worry for the future. For your consideration: I believe this represents a safety-related defect that should be investigated, as it affects the reliability of the brake system warning indicators in the 2019 Mazda 3. I appreciate your time and consideration. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11678802

Incident

Jul 31, 2025

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 ID

11662114

Incident

Dec 23, 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 stopped working. This failure poses a serious safety risk, as the seatbelt cannot properly restrain a passenger in case of a sudden stop or crash. I have checked for recalls on my vehicle but found none related to this issue. I request that NHTSA investigate this issue, as it may indicate a manufacturing defect. If necessary, I would also like to request a recall or manufacturer repair program to address this safety concern.

NHTSA ID

11650943

Incident

Mar 13, 2023

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 adding extra security clips to help prevent future failure. So I get my car to the service center and after looking at it they confirm this exact issue, say it is not covered under any extended warranty and tell me that it will cost approximately $1,000 to fix (diagnostic, parts plus labor). I asked how a safey issue such as an airbag not deploying isn’t covered and they reaffirm that it is NOT a safety issue and that there is no recall for it nor would it fail inspection with that error message. They also did confirm that in the event of an accident that airbag would not deploy while that error message was showing. I am at a loss right now and am not sure what to do as I cannot afford a $1,000 fix and am very confused as to how this design flaw for what I believe to be a safety issue is not covered under a recall.

NHTSA ID

11631133

Incident

Dec 1, 2024

DESCRIPTION Some customers may complain that the electric power steering warning light illuminates after engine start and DTC U2011:1C is stored. Zinc-plated whisker may form inside the EPS motor and trigger the DTC. However, since it is cleared when power is supplied during DTC detection, normal operation can be restored by turning the ignition OFF and then ON. Furthermore, there is no possibility of recurrence. This case may be resolved through a simple inspection or repair without the need for parts replacement, potentially avoiding unnecessary customer waiting time.

This SA supersedes the previously issued SA(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red. SA-063/24 09/06/24 DESCRIPTION The Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) system can malfunction with the following symptoms if the rear side radar sensors are installed facing the wrong direction.

This bulletin supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red. 09-016/26 05/06/26 DESCRIPTION Some customers may complain that the seat warmer does not operate when turning the ignition on while the seat is warm but when turning the ignition off then on again, the seat warmer begins to operate appropriately. DTCs “B1030:13” and/or “B1032:13” are stored. This is caused by the seat warmers fail-safe mode which prevents it from working during the initial drive cycle. To correct this issue, the seat warmer has been modified to optimize the temperature control. B1030:13 Seat warmer unit (LH) circuit malfunction (Heater side) B1032:13 Seat warmer unit (RH) circuit malfunction (Heater side) Customers having this concern should have their vehicle repaired using the following repair procedure. REPAIR PROCEDURE 1. Verify the customer concern. 2. Remove the front seat cushion trim and the front seat back trim for both the driver and passenger seats according to the instructions in MGSS.

This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SAs listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. SA-017/25 12/16/25, 09/08/25, 07/14/25, 05/15/25 and 03/21/25 DESCRIPTION Mazda Connect Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Index General Questions MAZDA CONNECT Indication Setup and Getting Started Dealer Processes Registration / Enrollment / Take-Over Customer Subscription Status WI-FI General Informatio Opening the TCU Communication Line WI-FI How-To Conditions for Remote Engine Start Will Not Function WI-FI Trial Period Conditions for Remote Engine Start Function Will turn engine OFF Interacting With The App TCU Communication Line Status Service Issues Educational Videos Troubleshooting Resources MyMazda App Error Codes Customer Opt-Out

This SA supersedes the previously issued SA(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red. SA-061/25 12/17/25 DESCRIPTION If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...), interview the customer before proceeding with normal MGSS diagnosis by asking if any aftermarket devices have been installed. Aftermarket devices may be the cause of the electrical concern. Below are a few examples of unusual electrical concerns caused by aftermarket devices. Examples: 1. Devices connected to the DLC-2 (battery discharge/DTC stored) 2. Devices plugged into the 12V outlet 3. GPS tracking device (engine no start/battery discharge) 4. Dash cam (DTC stored) 5. Non-certified USB cable (Apple Carplay™/ Android Auto™ will not connect) 6. Over-sized wheels/tires (incorrect GPS location) 7. DTC C0023:14 8. Decorative trim and/or cover on the START/STOP ENGINE button Example 1: Some electrical devices connected to the DLC-2 connector by insurance or mobile phone companies may cause: Battery discharge. The device may disrupt the CAN system battery saver mode. • IDS/MMDS will not communicate with the vehicle due to poor DLC-2 connection. The aftermarket device may cause DLC-2 female terminals to spread open.

This bulletin supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red. 09-012/21 12/13/21, 06/10/21 and 04/27/21 DESCRIPTION Some customers may experience all of following symptoms: The door lock/unlock operation will not work using the remote transmitter button. 1. The door lock/unlock operation will not work using the door lock/release touch sensor. 2. The engine will not start using the ignition switch. 3. The transmitter operates by itself. 4. The key battery drains faster than usual. 5. Symptoms 1-3: This may be caused when excess load is applied to the remote transmitter, deforming the electrical terminals and creating poor contact with the battery. To eliminate this concern, the structure in the remote transmitter has been modified to reduce the deformation of the electrical terminals. Symptom 4-5: This may be caused when excessive load is applied to the remote transmitter, creating a gap around the gasket where moisture enters and corrodes the circuit board which in turn drains the key battery faster than usual. To eliminate this concern, the thickness of the case wall on the gasket mounting surface has been increased and the bonding strength of the components has been improved to prevent deformation. REPAIR PROCEDURE • If the battery is bad or installed incorrectly, replace the battery and/or install it correctly. • If the remote power saving function is off and the battery is good and installed correctly, replace the defective remote transmitter with a modified one according to the instructions on MGSS (IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM-RELATED PARTS PROGRAMMING). NOTE: DO NOT replace other remote transmitter(s) for the vehicle if they not experiencing an issue.