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What 117 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 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 (117)Crash / fire / injury (9)Lights (36)Electrical system (32)Transmission & drivetrain (18)Brakes (15)Body & structure (11)Engine (11)Seats (9)Steering (9)Airbags (7)Seat belts (6)

36 of 117 complaints match · Lights · clear filters · page 2 of 2

Nov 16, 2016Electrical systemLightsBrakes

WHEN BRAKING OR DECELERATING, THE HEADLIGHTS PULSE. IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE SIGNALING OTHER DRIVERS AT NIGHT (ALTHOUGH WHO KNOWS WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSEDLY SAYING) AND IT IS A SERIOUS HAZARD. THIS WAS PARTICULARLY A PROBLEM HEADING DOWN A MOUNTAIN AT NIGHT DURING A WINTER STORM TO HAVE OUR VISIBILITY GO IN AND OUT. THERE IS ALREADY A NOTICE OUT ACCORDING TO OUR MECHANIC, BUT WE RECEIVED NOTHING FROM MAZDA AND ARE BEING CHARGED TO REPROGRAM THE COMPUTER THAT IS SUPPOSEDLY CAUSING THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 10926540

May 4, 2016Lights

EVERY TIME I SLOW DOWN (BRAKING OR JUST DECELERATING) THE LIGHTS FLICKER. THIS HAPPENS WITH HIGH OR LOW BEAMS. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR QUITE SOME TIME. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE BATTERY, BUT AFTER REPLACEMENT THIS CONTINUED.

NHTSA ODI 10863227

Apr 1, 2016Electrical systemLightsBrakes

HEADLIGHTS PULSE, LIKE OTHERS HAVE STATED WHEN DECELERATING, AS IN COMING DOWN A HILL WHILE GENTLY BRAKING. I AM PUTTING THE LATEST DATE OF OCCURRENCE, BUT ITS BEEN GOING ON SINCE ABOUT SUMMER OF 2015. WOULD LIKE THIS RESOLVED.

NHTSA ODI 10852943

Mar 22, 2016Electrical systemLights

WHEN THE CAR DECELERATORS, OR MORE NOTICEABLY, WHEN I'M BREAKING, THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER, ALMOST PULSING. IT HAS NOT GOTTEN ME INTO ANY TROUBLE YET, I'VE HEARD OF NEAR HITS BECAUSE OTHER DRIVERS THOUGHT THEY WERE ALLOWING THEM TO MERGE IN FRONT OF THEM. I'M MOST AFRAID THAT SOMEONE WILL THINK I'M THREATENING THEM BY FLASHING MY LIGHTS AT THEM. AS IF I'M ANGRY THEY CUT ME OFF AND FLASHING MY LIGHTS IN ANGER, FOR EXAMPLE. IT'S VERY RARE FOR THIS NOT TO HAPPEN WHEN IT IS DARK. MY BOYFRIEND IS ALSO AFRAID THAT THE LIGHTS ARE GOING TO GO OUT SPONTANEOUSLY, LEAVING ME IN THE DARK.

NHTSA ODI 10850937

Jan 7, 2016Electrical systemLights

WHEN DECELERATING (BRAKING) HEADLIGHTS FLICKER. THIS MAKES NIGHT TIME DRIVING DANGEROUS & DIFFICULT.

NHTSA ODI 10818783

Jan 1, 2016LightsBrakes

DRIVING AT NIGHT AND THE VEHICLE DECELERATES AND APPLY BRAKES (WHICH IS MORE NOTICEABLE) THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER. I HAVE HAD PEOPLE THINK I'M A POLICE OFFICER BEHIND THEM, ALSO HAD VEHICLES PULL OUT IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT I WAS FLASHING MY LIGHTS FOR THEM TO GO. I HAVE TAKING THE CAR INTO MAZDA DEALER HAVE LOOKED AT AS WELL AS WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM AND THEY HAVE YET TO SAY WHAT'S WRONG OR EVEN FIX IT. IF YOU DISCONNECT THE BATTERY FOR 5-10 MINUTES IT STOPS FLICKERING FOR A DAY OR SO, BUT STARTS BACK UP AND AT TIME BEEN WORSE THAN PREVIOUS TIMES.

NHTSA ODI 10817301

Nov 24, 2015Lights

WHILE BRAKING THE FRONT LIGHTS ARE PULSING FROM REGULAR TO DIM AND BACK AND FORTH. THEY RETURN TO NORMAL AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS WAS FIRST NOTICED WHILE EXITING FROM HIGHWAY SPEEDS TO A DOWN RAMP.THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN FROM MAZDA ON THIS, #13-21. IT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE TO MY VEHICLE TO NO AVAIL. THE PROBLEM IS ELECTRICAL IN NATURE IN MY OPINION.

NHTSA ODI 10806629

May 26, 2015Electrical systemLightsVisibility & wipers

NOTICED FLICKERING OF HEADLIGHTS DURING NIGHT DRIVING WHILE BRAKING. THIS HEADLIGHT FLICKER WAS REPEATABLE WHILE NIGHT DRIVING AND BRAKING AT MODERATE TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

NHTSA ODI 10721542

Feb 18, 2015Electrical systemLights

THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER OR PULSATE WHEN I BRAKE OR DECELERATED MY 2013 MAZDA 3 HATCHBACK WITH THE 2.0 L ENGINE. NIGHT DRIVING IS DANGEROUS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10684010

Dec 21, 2014Electrical systemLights

WHEN I STARTED DRIVING AND PUT ON MY HEADLIGHTS. EVERYTIME I PUT ON THE BRAKES THE HEADLIGHTS DIM AS THE BRAKE LIGHT IS PUSHED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10667536

Jun 11, 2014LightsFire

TL * THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MAZDA 3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS COMPLETELY MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

NHTSA ODI 10597631

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Working with the data? Download all 117 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 2013 Mazda Mazda3 Sedan verdict →