Home · 2013 Mazda Mazda3 Sedan · Complaints

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)

2 of 117 complaints match · Brakes · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jul 27, 2015BrakesCrash

7/26/15 6:15 PM I WENT TO A FAMILY FRIEND'S HOUSE. I PULLED UP INTO HIS MAIN DRIVEWAY, TURNED TO THE LEFT TO A DIRT DRIVE WAY IT HAD ABOUT A 3% GRADE INCLINE. I PULLED MY E BREAK, PUT INTO 1ST GEAR AND TURNED OFF MY CAR AND GOT OUT, GOT MY DAUGHTER OUT OF THE CAR AND WALKED UP TO THE HOUSE WITH MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER. WITH THE INTENT TO ONLY STAY AT OUR FRIENDS HOUSE FOR ABOUT 15 MINS. WE WERE OUTSIDE CHATTING AT OUR FRIENDS HOUSE ABOUT 15 MINS AND LOOKING TO HEAD OUT WHEN MY WIFE YELLS FOR MY ATTENTION! I TURN AROUND AND SEE MY CAR ROLLING BACKWARDS TOWARDS THE MAIN DRIVEWAY AND DOWN INTO A RAVINE ABOUT 20 FT DOWN. OF COURSE THIS IS A HUGE SHOCK TO MY LIFE! WE ARE VERY LUCKY THAT MY DAUGHTER OR DOG WAS NOT WAITING IN THE CAR, AS WE WERE ONLY PICKING UP AN ITEM FROM OUR FRIENDS HOUSE. THE ISSUE I HAVE IS, WHY DID THE VEHICLE ROLL BACKWARDS WHILE IN GEAR AND WITH THE E BREAK PULLED. THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE MOVED. I NEED TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANOTHER EVENT THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED, AND I NEED TO HAVE ALL THE FACTORY RECALLS AND DEFICIENCIES WITH THE E BREAK. THIS WAS A VERY SCARY MOMENT, AND I AM STILL IN SHOCK WITH THIS SITUATION THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.

NHTSA ODI 10743946

Apr 7, 2014BrakesCrash

DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AT 15 MPH, THE CAR IN FRONT OF MYSELF HAD SLOWED DOWN AND STOPPED AT A LIGHT. WHEN I SEEN SHE WAS STOPPING, I PRESSED DOWN MY BRAKES SO I WOULD STOP BUT THE BRAKE PEDDLE PUSHED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. MY CAR DIDN'T STOP. FROM THIS I HAD REAR-ENDED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE BRAKES WERE TESTED AGAIN AND RESULTED IN THE PEDDLE STILL BEING PUSHED DOWN TO THE FLOOR. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10577885

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 →