What 131 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Mazda Mazda3 Sedan

The airbag system failed to deploy during a major accident I was in, where my car rolled multiple times, and the collision that totaled my car. This includes the front airbags, impact sensors, and/or the airbag control module not activating. The vehicle is currently in the possession of the insurance company and can be made available for inspection upon request. During the crash, no airbags deployed, which significantly increased the risk of serious injury or death. The lack of airbag deployment left my partner and me completely unprotected at the moment of impact, including the number of times we rolled, seriously putting our safety at severe risk The vehicle is no longer drivable. The police report notes that the airbags did not deploy. The vehicle is in the process of inspection by my insurance adjusters as part of the total‑loss evaluation. The manufacturer has not yet inspected the airbag system, but the vehicle can be made available if Mazda requests an inspection. There were no warning lights, messages, or symptoms indicating an airbag or safety system issue before the crash. The airbag system gave no indication of malfunction before the failure occurred.

NHTSA ODI 11713964

WHILE DRIVING A LOUD GUN LIKE SOUND HAPPENS. SOUND WILL NOT TURN OFF EVEN WITH THE VEHICLE OFF OR VOLUME TURNED DOWN. THIS ISSUE IS RELATED TO THE BOSE AMP FAILURE WHICH THE DEALERSHIP HAS REFUSED TO FIX FOR FREE OR DIAGNOSE FOR FREE. CONTACTED BOSE AND THEY HAVE CONFIRMED THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THEY NO LONGER HONOR AND REFERRED ME TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP WILL CHARGE $1300 JUST FOR THE AMP ALONE.

NHTSA ODI 11383565

SUNDAY NIGHT WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING A LEFT-HAND TURN MY DRIVERSIDE SEAT COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM THE SEATS HARNESS THATS BOLTED INTO THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. AS RESEARCH THE PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT THAT EXACT SAFETY ISSUE HAD A RECALL. IVE MADE MULTIPLE UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS AT SCHEDULING MY CAR TO BE SERVICED BY MAZDA. THEY KEEP TELLING ME THAT THEY WILL CALL ME BACK. THIS HAS YET TO HAPPEN.

NHTSA ODI 11352597

AIRBAGS: DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT OF A STREETLAMP POLE ON THE FRONT DRIVERSIDE QUARTER. FRONT FARRING DAMAGED AND REPLACED. I WAS TURNING LEFT, IT WAS RAINING, THE GLARE OF THE LIGHT BLINDED ME ENOUGH TO GO UP ON THE CURB AND IMPACT THE STREETLAMP POLE. I REPLACED THE FARRING AND HAD MY MAZDA3 FULLY ALIGNED. ELECTRICAL: PURCHASED VEHICLE IN OCTOBER 2016. REPLACED BATTERY 4 TIMES, ALTERNATOR 3 TIMES SINCE PURCHASE. SEAT HEATERS HAVEN'T WORKED EVER. DRIVERSIDE SEAT STARTED WIGGLING AFTER CONTACT WITH STREETLAMP POLE.

NHTSA ODI 11310455

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 MAZDA 3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 71 MPH, THE VEHICLE HIT A DEER CAUSING THE HOOD TO OPEN WITH FORCE CRACKING THE WINDSHIELD. THE AIR BAGS ALSO FAILED TO DEPLOY. A DEER HIT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HIT HER HEAD AND KNEE ON THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT ALSO SUSTAINED A WHIPLASH. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V082000 (SEATS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER THE IMPACT SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW LOT AND DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS NOT CONTACTED FOR DIAGNOSES OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 11308414

DURING SHORT DRIVE ON SURFACE ROADS (UNDER 45 MPH), ELECTRICAL SHORT CAUSED A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD AND MELTED PLASTIC CLIPS; FUSE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO PREVENT THIS DID NOT WORK.

NHTSA ODI 11207236

ON APRIL 8 WHILE PICKING UP MY DAUGHTER FROM SCHOOL ON NAUTILUS STREET IN LA JOLLA, POINTED DOWNHILL ON A STEEP GRADE, MY IDLING VEHICLE LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING, I LOST CONTROL OF STEERING AND BRAKES HAD TO STOP THE VEHICLE WITH THE HANDBRAKE, THE PASSENGER CAR DOOR WAS OPEN AT THE TIME MY DAUGHTER WAS TRYING TO STEP INTO THE VEHICLE AS THE CAR TOOK OFF, THE DOOR HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME BREAKING HER TAIL LIGHT, IT TOOK ME THREE TRIES TO GET THE ENGINE TO TURN BACK OVER.

NHTSA ODI 11196467

TAKATA RECALL: I BOUGHT MY FIRST CAR MAZDA3 IN JAN 2011. ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, THE AIRBAG LIGHT DOES NOT TURN OFF EVEN THOUGH A OVER 100 POUNDS PERSON IS SITTING ON THE CHAIR. I NOTICED IT ON THE FIRST YEAR WHEN I WAS BACK TO THE MAZDA DEALER IN NEWARK CALIFORNIA FOR THE MAINTENANCE, BUT THE DEALER TOLD ME IT IS NORMAL BECAUSE THE PERSON IS SITTING ON THE PASSENGER CHAIR IS SO LIGHT. I GOT A CAR ACCIDENT ON 2012, BUT THE AIRBAG DID NOT POP UP. I DID NOT FILE A COMPLAINT BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW THIS WEBSITE UNTIL I RECEIVE THE DASHBOARD RECALL. MY MAZDA GOT SOME RECALLS. THE CURRENT RECALL IS THE DASHBOARD, AND I AM WAITING FOR FIXING IT THE END OF THIS MONTH JANUARY 2018. I WONDER WHY THE AIRBAG IS NOT RECALL YET. IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE DASHBOARD.

NHTSA ODI 11063957

MY WIFE WAS INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WERE THE AUTOMOBILE WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS. THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOY. THE CAR WAS IN MOTION AND SHE WAS SEVERELY REAR ENDED. THE APPROXIMATE TRAVEL SPEED WAS 65 MILES PER HR ON THERE FREEWAY.

NHTSA ODI 11053777

TAKATA AIRBAG: ON 12/25/16 SUNDAY MY VEHICLE SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE IN A HIT AND RUN, MY AIRBAG (DRIVER SIDE) DID NOT DEPLOY. MY VEHICLE WAS HIT SO HARD I WAS KNOCK INTO A 360 SPIN. (INSURANCE PROVIDER: PROGRESSIVE POLICY #[XXX], DETROIT POLICE REPORT #[XXX]) I WAS IN MOTION ENTERING THE INTERSECTION ON A CITY STREET, DRY ROAD CONDITION. I DID NOT GO TO THE HOSPITAL I USED WORK SICK DAY SINCE I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK (POLICE OFFICER) (EMAIL: [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11019397

AIRBAG NOT INFLATE AT THE ACCIDENT BUT INFLATED AFTER 2 NF INJURIES . PERSONS HURT BY STEERING WHEEL.

NHTSA ODI 10870411

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA 3. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE, IT EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION EVEN WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A POLE IN A DOG PARK. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. IT HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED IF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 22,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.

NHTSA ODI 10862616

EVIDENCE OF FIRE DAMAGE AROUND THE FIVE SPEED GEAR SHIFTING MECHANISM ONLY WITH RADIATED HEAT MELTING THE ADJOINING DRIVERS SEAT. NO OTHER INDICATIONS OF FIRE ANYWHERE ELSE AND THE FIRE EXTINGUISHED ITSELF DUE TO THE VEHICLES WINDOWS BEING ROLLED-UP WHICH CAUSED THE FIRE TO LACK OXYGEN WHICH IN TURN, CAUSED THE FIRE TO SMOLDER AT WHICH POINT THE OWNER APPROACHED THE CAR AS HE WAS GOING TO WORK AND OBSERVED AND REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO FIRE OFFICIALS. CAR HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE THAT TIME. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10672012

THE MAZDA 3 HIT A LARGE TRUCK BROADSIDE, WHICH CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THE CAR. THE MAZDA IS LIKELY TOTALED. THOUGH THE MAZDA 3 IS EQUIPPED WITH FRONT, SIDE AND OVERHEAD AIRBAGS, NOT ONE AIRBAG DEPLOYED IN THE ACCIDENT, NOT EVEN THE DRIVER'S-SIDE FRONT AIRBAG. AMAZINGLY, NO ONE WAS INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10560669

DRIVER SEAT GETS REALLY HOT AND BURNS YOUR BACK. HAVE TO TURN OFF AFTER 10 MINS. EVEN ON LOWEST SETTING. KEEPS GETTING TOO HOT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10512381

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA MAZDA3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO HIS FROM THE REAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT MOVED BACKWARD ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES AS A RESULT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE SEAT TRACK WOULD LIKELY NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000.

NHTSA ODI 10475341