2019 Mazda Mazda3 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2019 Mazda Mazda3, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes1616.5%
- Driver assistance1111.3%
- Electrical1111.3%
- Engine1111.3%
- Powertrain (other)1010.3%
- Fuel system88.2%
- Visibility88.2%
- Airbags66.2%
- Body & structure55.2%
- Seat belts33.1%
- Steering33.1%
- Exterior lighting22.1%
- Suspension11.0%
- Transmission11.0%
- Interior & seats11.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
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)
I WAS ACCELERATING AFTER A TRAFFIC LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND THERE WERE NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME WHEN THE CAR STARTED BRAKING AUTOMATICALLY AND CAME TO A FULL STOP. LUCKILY THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS ABLE TO STOP IN TIME BUT THERE WAS NO WARNING AND NO REASON. I COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED. I PULLED OVER AND CHECKED THE TWO SENSORS AND NEITHER ONE WAS BLOCKED (IT HAD SNOWED HERE RECENTLY). I'M HONESTLY SCARED THIS COULD HAPPEN AGAIN AND MAZDA IS SAYING THERE ARE NO OPEN RECALLS ABOUT THIS FOR MY CAR AND THAT THE CAR IS FINE.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
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)
The contact owns a 2019 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the brake warning light illuminated and the vehicle would brake suddenly without the driver depressing the brake pedal. The failure had become recurring. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V907000 (Forward Collision Avoidance). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 stipulate to drive the car with more frequency. This is a safety issue. Should this happen during the winter months, an individual may be left stranded. The NHTSA must demand Mazda to issue a safety recall to fix this safety issue.
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 headlights and instrument cluster lights flickering. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 59,000.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 to the dealer where I purchased it, Mazda of Roswell. After I put the car in park at the Mazda of Roswell service department, the RPMs started going back and forth between 1,000 and 2,500 RPMs. My car spent 6 days at Mazda of Roswell, where the service dept was unresponsive and my car was never inspected. I then spent $1600 at North Roswell Automotive, only to have the issue appear again after driving less than two miles. I am not sure it is safe to drive a vehicle in which the RPMs are unstable. So far this has only happened when the car is idling or in park. If it happens when the car is in motion I hope I am able to control the vehicle. My car needs service at a Mazda dealer but I need the dealer to be honest with me about what to expect in terms of how long it will take to address the issue. Since this is an engine issue, this issue could be something that causes the car to stall or fail at any time, including while I am in traffic; it could also be electrical, since the battery suddenly died without warning. This would place myself and others on the road in danger. I purchased the battery just over one year ago, so I do not know if there is an issue there.
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.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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 test and stated that no failure was found however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the dealer stated that they were aware of the failure, but the vehicle needed to be diagnosed by a Tech. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 36,329.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Faulty Fuel pump by factory
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
I was sitting in the car while the ignition was off. I hit the rearview mirror slightly and it fell off.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 have kept up on every maintenance and kept records and today it has 18,000 miles and I am told the transmission needs replaced. 18,000 miles on a garage kept car? This is not right!
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 BROUGHT THE CAR TO TWO DIFFERENT MAZDA DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT'S AND BOTH EXPLAINED THAT, WHILE THE CAR HAS OBVIOUSLY NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, REPAIRING THE DEFECT UNDER WARRANTY MIGHT BE MORE DIFFICULT THAN I WOULD EXPECT. THE FIRST SAID HIS 'AUTO BODY SHOP WANTS TO CHARGE HIM EVEN IF IT IS COVERED BY WARRANTY' AND THE SECOND ADVISED HE 'COULD TAKE PICTURES AND SEND A REQUEST FOR COVERAGE TO 'MAZDA' SO THEY COULD DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD BE COVERED BY WARRANTY BUT (THAT HE BELIEVES) IT WOULD BE A 'TOUGH FIGHT' AS IT'S NOT A 'KNOWN PROBLEM' ON THESE CARS.' I BELIEVE THE CORRECTION SHOULD NOT ONLY BE COVERED BY WARRANTY BUT MIGHT WARRANT ADDITIONAL ACTION INCLUDING A LARGER SCALE INVESTIGATION AND/OR RECALL. I SHOULD ADD THAT THE PAINT HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM BOTH DOORS WHERE THEY WERE RUBBING TOGETHER. THIS SHOULD BE REPAIRED AS WELL...REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE FRAME OF THE CAR IS UNSTABLE OR THE DOORS ARE EXPANDING/CHANGING POSITION ON THEIR OWN.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
Driver’s side seat belt would not retract.
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 CONTINUED. IN ORDER TO STOP IN I HAD TO TURN THE CAR OFF. WHEN THE TOWING COMPANY TURNED THE CAR ON LATER IT IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO SPONTANEOUSLY ACCELERATE AND SURGE FORWARD AGAIN. THE MAZDA DEALER AND INSURANCE INSPECTOR EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THERE IS A SENSOR: WHEN A WHEEL ENCOUNTERS WHAT IT PERCEIVES TO BE AN OBSTACLE, IT 'TOSSES' ALL THE POWER TO THAT WHEEL AND ACCELERATES. THESE DRIVEWAYS HAVE A SMALL LIP AT THE EDGE. THIS SENSOR REACTED TO IT IN A WAY THAT CAUSED MY CAR TO CRASH. THE CAR WAS TOTALED AND THE TOWNHOUSES ACROSS THE STREET DAMAGED. THANK HEAVEN THERE WAS NO ONE OUTSIDE OR THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED, RECALLED AND CHANGED.
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 LIVE IN OHIO SO THE WEATHER IS NOT EXTREMELY HARSH. I'VE TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY HAVE NOT FIXED ANY OF THE ISSUES. I CALLED MAZDA CORPORATE AND WAS TOLD 'WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DO ABOUT IT' I WAS TOLD MY ISSUES HAD NO REMEDY. THE CORPORATE CALL CENTER WOULD NOT PUT ME THROUGH TO ANYONE ELSE FOR FURTHER HELP. I FEEL UNSAFE IN MY VEHICLE AND IT'S NOT EVEN OVER 8500 MILES YET.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 headlights and instrument cluster lights flickering. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 59,000.
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 DIED ABOUT A MONTH AGO, THEY GAVE ME A TEST STRIP THAT STATED MY BATTERY NEEDED A CHARGE, BUT I GOT A GLIMPSE OF THEIR COPY WHICH STATED THE BATTERY HAD A BAD CELL AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE VIDEO EVIDENCE OF THE DEFECTS THAT EXIST WITH MY VEHICLE. ON THE SMOOTHEST ROADS IN DFW AT LOW SPEEDS MY CAR IS ROCKING BACK AND FORTH, BOUNCING UP AND DOWN, AND IT TRULY FEELS LIKE MY AXLES ARE NOT ROTATING IN SYNC THAT RESULTS IN SEVERE VIBRATIONS, SHUDDERING, AND THE FEELING THAT MY AXLES WILL BREAK OR THAT A WHEEL WILL COME OFF AT THE VERY LEAST. I'VE HAD SO MANY PANIC ATTACKS, SUFFERED AN AMOUNT OF MENTAL ANGUISH I CAN'T BEGIN TO QUANTIFY, LOST WAGES, ALMOST LOST MY JOB, QUESTIONED MY OWN SANITY FROM BEING TOLD ALMOST TWO DOZEN TIMES THAT THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I NEED HELP, I REALLY AM BEGGING. THEY ARE REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEFECTS MY CAR HAS AND WRITING MY SAFETY OFF LIKE MY LIFE DOES NOT MATTER. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO GET SERIOUSLY INJURED, HURT SOMEONE ELSE, OR DIE IN THIS CAR BECAUSE I FEEL AN ACCIDENT IS IMPENDING. I'VE BEEN SO SCARED FOR MY LIFE IN THIS CAR THAT I'VE SPENT OVER $2K ON RENTAL CARS BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO DIE AND MAZDA HAS JUST LEFT ME HANGING WITH NO REGARD FOR MY SAFETY. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
A SAFETY CRITICAL INCIDENT OCCURRED ON MY NEW 2019 MAZDA 3 HATCHBACK WHEN THE VEHICLE WHEN INTO "LIMP" MODE WHILE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS LEADING TO RAPID DECELERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST MANUFACTURER SERVICE LOCATION WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED. CODES SHOW THAT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CENTRAL VEHICLE PROCESSOR AND MULTIPLE SUB-PROCESSORS FAILED SIMULTANEOUSLY. COMMENTS WERE MADE BY MANUFACTURER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES THAT FAILURE MODE IS LIKELY DIFFERENT FROM THE RECENT CYLINDER DEACTIVATION/ROCKER ARM RECALL. SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES WERE INSTRUCTED TO SIMPLY CLEAR THE CODES AND DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO ATTEMPT TO REPRODUCE THE FAILURE DURING WHICH IT DID NOT OCCUR. I HAVE ATTACHED A SANITIZED VERSION OF THE SERVICE RECEIPT TO THIS MESSAGE WITH THE FULL LIST OF CODES. UNFORTUNATELY MAZDA'S REPRESENTATIVES WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY EXPLANATION ON WHY THIS FAILURE OCCURRED OR WHAT WILL BE DONE TO PREVENT IT IN THE FUTURE. ENGINEERING ANALYSIS WILL NEED TO BE PERFORMED TO REACH AN ACCEPTABLE CONCLUSION. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS RELATING TO THE INCIDENT INCLUDE A VERY HOT OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE, WITH A READING OF 115 DEG F FROM THE VEHICLE'S SENSOR ROUGHLY 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE INCIDENT. THE INCIDENT ALSO OCCURRED ON A VERY LONG SECTION OF US HIGHWAY WITH A CONSISTENT, GRADUAL INCLINE. GIVEN THAT INFORMATION POTENTIAL CAUSES ARE INTERMITTENT COMPUTER HARDWARE FAILURE IN HIGH TEMPERATURE ENVIRONMENTS, OR A SOFTWARE ERROR IN POWER TRAIN CONTROL OR CRUISE CONTROL CAUSING A COMMUNICATION BUS FAILURE. WITH THE AGE AND MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE (336 MI) THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS FAILURE OCCURRING IS LIKELY PRESENT IN A LARGE PORTION OF NEW MAZDA VEHICLES.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
HEATED SEAT SHUTS OFF RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .