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What 226 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Mazda Mazda3 Sedan

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (226)Crash / fire / injury (10)Transmission & drivetrain (40)Engine (32)Lights (31)Electrical system (25)Fuel system (22)Speed control (20)Airbags (17)Body & structure (17)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (16)Seats (16)

2 of 226 complaints match · Seats · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Sep 14, 2020SeatsCrash

MY MAZDA3 HAS EXPERIENCED THE SAME MANUAL SEAT LIFTER FAILURE ISSUE AS ADDRESSED IN NHTSA RECALL 17V-082. I WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR END COLLISION ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 WHICH CAUSED ME TO EXPERIENCE WHIPLASH DUE TO THE SEAT BECOMING LOOSE. THE COLLISION CENTER FOUND THE SEAT IS MISSING THE PUSH NUTS AND THE LIFT BRACKET HAS BROKEN AT THE WELDS WHICH IS IDENTICAL DUE TO SAFETY ISSUES STATED IN THE ABOVE RECALL. MAZDA STATES THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE FOR THIS VEHICLE BUT I COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED DUE TO THIS. MY CAR WAS GOING SLOWLY BEFORE I WAS HIT FROM BEHIND WHICH PUSHED THE CAR FORWARD ON A STANDARD CITY STREET IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE. I WAS GOING LESS THAN 5 MILES PER HOUR.

NHTSA ODI 11355002

Jul 19, 2015SteeringSuspensionSeatsCrash

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.

NHTSA ODI 10735022

Working with the data? Download all 226 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 18, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Mazda Mazda3 Sedan verdict →