What 226 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Mazda Mazda3

2012 Mazda3i 5dr hatchback. Persistent issue with headlights, both low beam and high beam, as well as interior lighting and other lighting. The headlights flicker for several seconds any time the brake pedal is applied. Interior lighting also flickers when brake pedal is applied. Headlights sometimes flicker when vehicle is decelerating and no brake pedal is applied, most notable when vehicle is traveling downhill. Further, the luminosity (brightness) of the headlights visibly dims, but does not flash, when the vehicle is parked and the brake pedal is applied. A high volume of others report the same issue, including documented complaints. These vehicles are unsafe, defective as designed, and do not conform to FMVSS No. 108. NHTSA must investigate further. Many other owners are not aware of the cause of the issue and attempt to fix it by replacing headlights, alternator, etc. Mazda was aware of issue prior to July 2013, when it issued TSB 01-019/13. This document states, "Some vehicles may exhibit the headlights flickering when the vehicle is decelerating (by applying the brakes) with the headlights on. This concern is caused by inadequate alternator output (controlled by the PCM) when the battery is under a heavy load. To correct the problem, the control logic of the PCM has been changed." This appears to be at best a temporary fix. Bommarito Mazda in Missouri required payment of $199.88 to "diagnose" this problem and address it in the manner prescribed in TSB 01-019/13. This service was not covered under warranty. Service Manager M.D. claimed to have never heard of this issue before and that it would need to be diagnosed, despite being informed by the owner of the precise issue, that others reported experiencing the same issue, and that others reported the issue was addressed by reprogramming the PCM. Immediately following this service, the headlights continued to visibly dim when the vehicle is parked and the brake pedal applied.

NHTSA ODI 11640975

[XXX] covers a safety oriented problem with my car. Jim Ellis Mazda in Marietta refuses to work on my car because it is more than 10 years old. This is a proprietary issue since it deals with the computer system in the car. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11559286

When driving at night with exterior lights on, when brake and or gas pedal is pressed the exterior lights strobe/flashes. The Mazda dealership has been contacted about this issue and there is a technician service bulletin stating that the ECM needs to be reflashed/programmed. No recall has been set for this issue and the Mazda dealership stated that I would have to pay $265 out of pocket to have the problem fixed. I believe that because it's a problem with there programming or software that the company should have to issue a safety recall and fix the factory defect. I'm currently in the process of filing a lawsuit against Mazda because of this and I have already filed a complaint with the better business bureau for this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11449643

Using my headlamps at night when I break my headlamps begin to flash, as to dim and brighten I took it into the dealership because it was a recall that my Vin number was not part of. They refused to take care of it without a fee. I reported it to Mazda of North America but because the cars older it falls outside of what they would normally do to take care of it. In short, The braking system causes the headlamps to brighten and dim down. I use country Roads, this could become a hazard. Im concerned it could completely go out at some point and leave me in the dark and create an accident

NHTSA ODI 11417532

THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A MASSIVE VOLTAGE DROP WHEN SLOWING DOWN OR LOWERING SPEED. HAPPENS CONSISTENTLY IN ALL DRIVING CONDITIONS, HIGHWAY/CITY, NIGHTTIME/DAYTIME. THIS LEADS TO ALL INTERIOR LIGHTS AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, HEADLIGHTS DIMMING AND FLASHING WHENEVER THE ENGINE SPEED DROPS. THIS OFTEN MEANS AT NIGHTTIME WHEN GOING AROUND CORNERS VISIBILITY IS NEARLY ZERO UNTIL THE LIGHTS COME BACK ON AFTER A FEW SECONDS. ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS ARE ALL FINE WITH INSPECTION. UPON GOOGLING IT, APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AND SOFTWARE RELATED.

NHTSA ODI 11404166

HIGH BEAM LIGHTS BLINK/FLASH WHEN BREAKING LOW BEAM LIGHTS DIM WHEN BREAKING INSTRUMENT LIGHTS DIM SLIGHTLY WHEN BREAKING WITH BOTH CONDITIONS MENTIONED

NHTSA ODI 11386577

HEADLAMPS PULSE DURING BRAKING WHILE DECELERATION

NHTSA ODI 11385614

WHILE DRIVING I HAD NOTICED THAT EVERY TIME I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT OR A STOP SIGN OR TO EVEN SLOW DOWN BY RELEASING MY FOOT OF THE ACCELERATOR, MY HEADLIGHTS WOULD START TO FLASH. I STARTED TO DIN INTO THE PROBLEM BY DOING RESEARCH ONLINE TO SEE IF IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLES MAKE AND MODEL. UPON READING MORE AND MORE INFORMATION I FOUND ON THE ISSUE I WAS HAVING WITH MY CAR. IT ALL SEEMED TO BE LINKED TO AN ALTERNATOR ISSUE THAT MAZDA KNEW ABOUT RELEASED A RECALL ON IT THEN TOOK THE RECALL AWAY. MY CAR IS HAVING THE ISSUE FOR THE RECALL THEY TOOK AWAY. IT POSES A DANGER AND A RISK WHILE DRIVING. IT CAUSES A DISTRACTION TO THE ON COMING TRAFFIC AS WELL AS DISTRACTS THE DRIVER IN FRONT OF YOU. I HAVE HAD CARS BREAK HARD IN FRONT OF ME THINKING I WAS SIGNALING THEM FOR WHATEVER REASON. ONE EARLY MORNING I HAD BEEN DRIVING TO WORK ON THE FREEWAY AND MY WHOLE CAR SEEMED TO HAVE SHUT OFF AND AS SOON AS IT WENT OFF IT CAME BACK ON.

NHTSA ODI 11309640

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT WHEN YOU BRAKE THE HEADLIGHTS DIM SIGNIFICANTLY AND FLICKER UNTIL YOU GO BACK TO THE GAS OR STOP. I NOTICED THIS WHEN I DROVE THE CAR I BOUGHT FOR MY DAUGHTER ONE NIGHT IN OCTOBER 2019.

NHTSA ODI 11301866

HEADLIGHTS FLICKER WHEN BRAKING CAUSING DIMINISHED VISIBILITY AT NIGHT. THIS IS A KNOW PROBLEM AND SAFETY HAZARD. KNOWN ENOUGH TO HAVE A SERVICE BULLITEN. THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT CAUSING SAFETY ISSUES THAT MAZDA WANTS CUSTOMERS TO PAY FOR IN ORDER TO BE FIXED. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL AS IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD

NHTSA ODI 11281618

WHEN THE VEHICLE SLOWS DOWN OR I HIT THE BRAKES, THE HEADLIGHTS AND INTERIOR LIGHTS FLICKER.

NHTSA ODI 11256641

HIGH BEAM LIGHTS BLINK/FLASH WHEN BREAKING LOW BEAM LIGHTS DIM WHEN BREAKING INSTRUMENT LIGHTS DIM SLIGHTLY WHEN BREAKING WITH BOTH CONDITIONS MENTIONED. ALSO I HAD THE ALTEERNATOR CHECKED AND IT IS WORKING LIKE IT SHOULD. I FOUND OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM WITH SAME YEAR MAKE AND MODEL. I AM 2ND OWNER THE PERSON WHO BOUGHT IT NEW DIDNT DRIVE IT MUCH AND DIDNT DRIVE IT AT NIGHT SO THEY NEVER KNEW IT HAD ISSUES. THE PEOPLE WITH THE ISSUES WAS ABLE TO GET IT FIXED FREE SINCE THEY BOUGHT IT NEW AND HAD THE ISSUE HAPPEN TO THEM. SEAMS THERE WOULD OF BEEN A RECALL OUT TO HAVE THIS FIXED AND MOST DEALERS KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. BUT NOT THE ONE I TOOK MY CAR TO SINCE IT IS A NEWER DEALER.

NHTSA ODI 11209906

HIGH BEAM LIGHTS BLINK/FLASH WHEN BREAKING LOW BEAM LIGHTS DIM WHEN BREAKING INSTRUMENT LIGHTS DIM SLIGHTLY WHEN BREAKING WITH BOTH CONDITIONS MENTIONED

NHTSA ODI 11208455

WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH THE LIGHTS ON AND PUTTING ON BRAKES OR SLOWING DOWN, HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS FLICKER AND DIM NOTICEABLY

NHTSA ODI 11206154

UPON DOWNSHIFTING OR BRAKING FROM NORMAL DRIVING SPEED THE 2012 MAZDA3 I HEADLIGHTS FLICKER LIKE A STROBE LIGHT CREATING DISTRACTION FOR BOTH THE DRIVER AND OTHER DRIVERS. MAZDA HAS NO RECALLS ON A SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR PDM TO EASILY CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THIS IS ONLY OCCURRING ON SKYACTIVE MODELS

NHTSA ODI 11204455

WHEN DRIVING THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS WILL FLICKER/DIM WHEN I TOUCH THE BRAKES. I AM DRIVING BACK ROADS AND HIGHWAY. NIGHT TIME WITH HEADLIGHTS ON. HAPPENS PRETTY CONSISTENTLY AND IS DISTRACTING AND GREATLY REDUCES MY VIEW OF THE ROAD!! HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR AT LEAST 4 MONTHS. REPLACED THE BATTERY AND STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 11181238

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MAZDA 3. WHILE DRIVING WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ACTIVATED, THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKERED AND PULSATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AOXMOOR MAZDA (7913 SHELBYVILLE RD, LOUISVILLE, KY) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A SOFTWARE MALFUNCTION. THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE WAS UPDATED AND THE FAILURE WAS REMEDIED. THE THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11176142

WHEN DRIVING, THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER SEVERELY ANYTIME THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. AT NIGHT, IT LOOKS LIKE I'M FLASHING MY LIGHTS. THIS HAPPENS AT RANDOM TIMES, ANY ROADWAY. WE HAD THE CAR SERVICED AFTER FINDING A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (SB-01-019-13). THE ISSUE WAS FIXED FOR A FEW MONTHS, BUT HAS RETURNED.

NHTSA ODI 11160646

HEADLIGHTS PULSATE WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED. IT IS A SOFTWARE ISSUE INVOLVING THE ALTERNATOR AND RE-CALIBRATING THE PCM. IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME YOU BRAKE WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS ARE ON.

NHTSA ODI 11081443

HEADLIGHTS FLICKER WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED APPLICABLE MODEL(S)/VINS 2012-2013 MAZDA3 VEHICLES (WITH SKYACTIV-G 2.0L AND HALOGEN TYPE HEADLIGHTS)

NHTSA ODI 11064900

WHEN DRIVING WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON, THE HEADLIGHTS APPEAR TO PULSATE, DIMMING AND BRIGHTENING VERY NOTICEABLY. THIS ONLY HAPPENS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. MAZDA HAS IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM, ISSUED A TSB REFERENCE SB-01-019-13. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL SINCE IT'S DISTRACTING AND DANGEROUS TO THE DRIVER AND OTHER MOTORISTS ON THE ROAD. NHTSA HAS AN ID NUMBER 10053740 ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.

NHTSA ODI 11056756

HEADLIGHTS FLICKER/PULSATE WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE WITH 2012-13 MAZDA3 THAT REQUIRES A SOFTWARE UPDATE TO REMEDY. CURRENTLY, MAZDA IS CHARGING A MINIMUM OF $99 TO 'DIAGNOSE' THE ISSUE. SINCE THE ISSUE OCCURS IN MOTION, I DO NOT HAVE PHOTOS, BUT I DO HAVE VIDEOS. GIVEN THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE CAUSED BY FAULTY SOFTWARE THAT ONLY MAZDA CAN UPDATE, THERE IS NO REASON THAT OWNERS SHOULD HAVE TO PAY THEM TO FIX THEIR OWN MISTAKE. IT'S A SCAM, AT BEST. DOCUMENTATION OF OTHERS WITH SAME ISSUE AND CONSISTENT SOFTWARE UPDATE SOLUTION: HTTPS://WWW.MAZDAFORUM.COM/FORUM/MAZDA3-26/MAZDA-3-HEADLIGHTS-FLICKERING-PULSATING-WHEN-BRAKING-34536/ HTTPS://WWW.GOOGLE.COM/AMP/S/AMP.REDDIT.COM/R/MAZDA3/COMMENTS/6AAEIK/20122013_HEADLIGHT_FLICKERING_SOLUTION/ - THIS LINK INCLUDES A MAZDA CANADA SERVICE BULLETIN, INDICATING THAT THE COMPANY IS FULLY AWARE OF THE ISSUE HTTPS://WWW.MAZDAS247.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?123843988-2013-MAZDA-3-HEADLIGHTS-BLINK-WHEN-BRAKES-APPLIED

NHTSA ODI 11056207

THE HEADLIGHT HAVE BEEN FLICKERING SINCE A FEW MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR, & IT CAUSES INADEQUATE ALTERNATOR OUTPUT, IT HAS ALSO CAUSED ISSUES WITH LOSING MY POWER STEERING. THE HEADLIGHT NOT ONLY FLICKER WHEN BREAKING, BUT HAVE GOTTEN TO THE POINT THEY WILL COMPLETELY GO OUT, & WILL ALSO FLICKER ALL INTERIOR LIGHTS WHEN BRAKING & TURNING THE WHEEL. I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER DUE TO POLICE THINKING I AM FLASHING MY LIGHTS WHEN BREAKING, BUT WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THE POLICE OFFICER THE SERVICE BULLETIN 01-019/13 & HE LET ME GO WITH A WARNING & STRONGLY ADVISED ME TO GET IT FIXED. IT IS NOW TIME FOR MY CAR TO GO THROUGH INSPECTION, & IT WILL NOT PASS WITH THE LIGHTS FLICKERING & GOING COMPLETELY OUT. THE PROBLEM HAS ONLY CONTINUED GETTING WORSE TO THE POINT THE HEADLIGHT ARE GOING COMPLETELY OFF WHILE DRIVING DURING HOURS WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE NEEDED. I HAVE LOST MY POWER STEERING MULTIPLE TIMES AFTER STARTING MY CAR AND BEGAN DRIVING, WITH A BRAND NEW BATTERY INSTALLED BY A MECHANIC, & WHEN I HAVE LOST POWER STEERING I HAVE ALMOST CRASHED INTO THE SIDE OF MY WORK OFFICE & HAVE HAD TO TRY PULLING OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD DUE TO LOSING POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING. IT IS TIME FOR ACTION TO BE TAKEN & THIS BE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED, GMC CAN RECALL FOR THE SAME COMPUTER SYSTEM UPGRADE THAT IS NEEDED FOR MY MAZDA 3, BUT HAVE ONLY BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS NOT COVERED AND THAT I HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET, WHICH I HAVE GOTTEN QUOTES FROM SEVERAL MAZDA DEALERS OVER THE SEVERAL YEARS I HAVE OWNED & CONTINUE TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE AND IT WILL COST ME OVER $500 TO HAVE REPAIRED!! DUE TO NOT HAVING THE MONEY TO AFFORD TO COMPUTER UPGRADE WHICH I CONSIDER A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE MAZDA'S PROBLEM TO FIX BEFORE THEY HAVE A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT BROUGHT AGAINST THEM, BECAUSE SOMEONE DRIVING A MAZDA 3 GET SERIOUSLY INJURED OR SERIOUS INJURE SOMEONE ELSE!

NHTSA ODI 11013771

MY HEADLIGHT HOUSING HAS CONDENSATION AND THAT IN TURN HAS CAUSED MY HID LIGHTS TO FAIL. I HAVE READ OVER AN OVER THAT MAZDA'S FROM 2010-2011 HAVE THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. WHY DO THEY NOT TAKE THIS ISSUE SERIOUSLY. I WAS TOLD BY A MAZDA IN LEXINGTON, KY THAT THIS WOULD COST ME IN EXCESS OF $600.00 TO REPLACE. WHY DOES THIS STILL CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM. ANYTIME IT RAINS THERE IS MORE CONDENSATION BUILD UP. THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS AFFECTED FIRST NOW IT APPEARS AS THOUGH THE DRIVER SIDE IS STARTING TO HAVE BUILD UP OF CONDENSATION, WHICH WILL ULTIMATELY CAUSE A FAILURE WITH THE HID. SO INSTEAD DRIVING WITH ONE HEADLIGHT AND FOG LIGHTS (WHICH THE FOG LIGHTS HELP) I WILL HAVE NO HEADLIGHTS.

NHTSA ODI 11011982

WHEN BREAKING FROM A SPEED OF 35 MILES PER HOUR THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER TO A VERY DIM DEGREE. IT IS NEARLY A STROBE LIGHT. APPARENTLY THERE IS A SOFTWARE UPDATE FIX FOR THIS FROM A TSB SO WHY ISN'T THIS RECALLED? IT IS CLEARLY DANGEROUS AND COMMON.

NHTSA ODI 10958739