What 138 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Mazda Mazda3 Sedan

The contact owns a 2014 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that when attempting to secure the vehicle, the electric parking brake failed to engage after pulling up the hand lever. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V393000 (Parking Brake); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was previously taken to a dealer for an unrelated recall repair, but the parking brake failure was not addressed or resolved. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11749418

The fuel tank leaks fuel at a full tank and smells of gas in the cabin until about 3/4 tank. Car was dripping a large puddle of gas inside of a parking garage. Problem has been reproduced by my mechanic even after replacing the fuel pump retaining ring. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer or police. CEL did not come on until recently reporting a very small EVAP leak. Inside the car and the surrounding area would smell of gasoline even if there was no leak in the ground.

NHTSA ODI 11744056

The contact's nephew owns a 2014 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while parked on several occasions, the parking brake failed to engage, and there was no resistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

NHTSA ODI 11743735

The rear backup sensors no longer work and did not give any indication they stopped working. They do not detect cars driving up from behind when driving or switching lanes or objects or people behind the car anymore when you reverse. This happened without any notice or warning indications.

NHTSA ODI 11727114

Airbag warning symbol on dashboard flashes with or without passenger seated in front seat.

NHTSA ODI 11721073

Blend door actuator linkage will not allow for heat to be turned on, will blow cool/cold air, have had it looked at and the gear teeth will not stay in line with on another to be able to turn when the knob inside the car is turned. I was told that this may be a recall but do not see anything listed, but that it is a known problem for this model of mazda 3 and ford expiditions

NHTSA ODI 11711857

Gas tank is leaking from the TOP. I could smell gas after a refill (and refilling a portable tank) that I thought must have been a spill I hadn't noticed, and the smell faded. But then it happened again at the next refill, and I knew it wasn't just a spill. Brought it to our trusted mechanic who said that the TOP of the tank was rusted out (wow!)(so, not from road salt) and needs to be replaced. Not cheap, but worse, I'd been driving around in a very hazardous situation that Mazda knows happens. No warning lights, no recall. Thanks, guys. Here's a thread about this being a common issue: https://www.mazda3revolution.com/threads/2014-mazda3-fuel-tank-replacement.245797/

NHTSA ODI 11694054

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2014 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that the vehicle was making an abnormal growling sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 140,000. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the motor mounts needed to be replaced. It was later discovered that the Title mileage was 197,687.

NHTSA ODI 11689873

The car screen displays, GPS, for calls, radio etc, doesn’t works, it’s off, and the airbags are deactivated and they’re off as well and have to press hard on the brake to get the car to stops.

NHTSA ODI 11669855

Noticed strong smell of gasoline when the car was parked. Took it to an independent service dealer who diagnosed leaking fuel from top of the tank. Gas tank was removed and replaced. Tank cost was $380.00 plus repair shop labor/supplies cost. See attached invoice. During a recent online search for this vehicles current book value I noticed there was a manufactures recall issued for this same problem, that I paid to have repaired. I never received any recall notice for a leaking gas tank problem for my vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11655737

Navigation touchscreen has deteriorated without any external damage to the point where it has false positives/ghost clicks. This randomly changes settings which include screen/instrument panel brightness which can be disorienting at night.

NHTSA ODI 11651516

Gas tank is leaking. According to the records the service recall has been repaired (via a previous owner). However, what started out as fumes is now definitely a leak and the dealership will not repair under the recall a second time.

NHTSA ODI 11640835

Rearview camera flickers or doesn't turn on at times.

NHTSA ODI 11634708

My vehicle has intermittent functioning of rearview camera image while reversing. I can sometimes get it to work by opening an closing the rear hatch. Sometimes the image is clear, sometimes there is no image and sometimes it is distorted/rolls. Mazda notified me of the recall September 2023, but the company has failed to repair the defect within a reasonable amount of time.

NHTSA ODI 11634032

The contact owns a 2014 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11633721

Due to improper design of the rearview camera wiring harness fastener, my rearview camera image has been distorted and flickering for years. There has been no remedy for this issue for many years now and its quite dangerous to have a camera that doesnt work at all.

NHTSA ODI 11628054

The contact owns a 2014 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11624033

The infotainment screen in my Mazda3 developed a large spider crack in the corner. It's available for inspection upon request. It affects my ability to read information on the screen, and partially obstructs my backup camera's image. The problem has been confirmed by both the dealer, who saw the issue firsthand, and Mazda (see Service Alert No.: SA-008/18, issued 02/20/2018 - please note, the spider crack I have is much larger than the ones in the pictures in the Service Alert). There was no warning this issue was going to affect my car, it just happened one day.

NHTSA ODI 11623549

The contact owns a 2014 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while driving up an incline at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle temporarily lost motive power, and the contact became aware that the vehicle had failed to shift out of first gear. The contact stated that the vehicle returned to normal functionality; however, the failure recurred several times while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that the instrument panel was functioning erratically, and the instrument panel lights frequently remained illuminated after turning off the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the head gasket seal had failed, which resulted in an oil leak. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with electrical system failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V173000(Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 62,000.

NHTSA ODI 11622452

In reference to the existing recall on my vehicle (Manufacturer recall # 6023G, NHTSA recall #: 23V-487), I would like to report that the vehicle manufacturer (Mazda) has yet to offer a solution to this problem, which is now over a year old. In addition to the reported distortion/flickering from the rearview camera, we are experiencing times (about 1 in 10) where the image displayed from the rearview camera is simply a blank screen. This makes operating the vehicle in reverse more difficult and dangerous, especially in situations were visibility is limited (night, dark spaces, garage parking, etc.). This is a safety issue, first and foremost, and a solution from the manufacturer is long overdue.

NHTSA ODI 11612119

There is an existing recall on my car 2014 Mazda 3 dated July 14, 2023 for the glitches with rearview mirror and rearview mirror disconnecting at random. While this has been outstanding for one year Mazda discourages customers from scheduling appointment to get the vehicle inspected and fixed in accordance to the guidance listed in NHTSA recall. I visited Capitol Mazda San Jose on 11/18/23 as well as called them to schedule a check on 7/17/24 but both these times I was informed that there are no parts to be replaced. I believe the remedy listed with NHTSA is not being followed and the customers do not have a timeline to get a resolution to this issue. I'm sharing the remedy listed by NHTSA. "Dealers will inspect vehicles. If inspections verify no concern with the rearview camera image, a wiring harness fastening seal will be added to prevent harness movement. If inspections verify there is image distortion or flickering, the rearview camera will be replaced with a new part and a wiring harness fastening seal will be added." I'm unable to understand if there are efforts by Mazda to provide sufficient labor work to inspect the vehicle and the fastening seals are at all in their timeline. I think NHTSA should assess what progress has been made by Mazda in resolving this critical recall.

NHTSA ODI 11602914

I thought I smelled gasoline when sitting in my car. I got out and inspected all around the vehicle, discovering that gasoline was leaking underneath. Both the hazardous fumes and the potential for a fire in the vehicle put me at risk. The loss of fuel on public roads could have resulted in danger to anyone behind me on the road due to the fire hazard and potential loss of traction before I noticed the problem. I immediately brought the car to my mechanic's personal shop (he is also a master mechanic at a local automotive dealership). He confirmed that the leak was gasoline and diagnosed the problem as a rusted seam near the top of the fuel tank having ruptured, allowing the leak and filling the cabin of the vehicle with fumes. I knew that the local Mazda dealership would be unable to repair this promptly, if at all, since they had just fixed the exact same problem in my mother in law's vehicle of the same make, model, and year, and had struggled to get the replacement tank for weeks due to the supply chain problems experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, I paid my own mechanic to source and install a tank, and coat it with anti-corrosion treatment. I contacted Mazda, explained the problem, and demanded they reimburse me, as the car was only 8 years old at the time. The Mazda representative refused to do anything to help me and did not answer my subsequent emails, so I posted about this problem on the [XXX] forum, and discovered others have had the same problem as my mother in law and I. There were no warning signs of the problem other than the smell of gasoline. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11587982

The manufacturer has not provided a timely remedy for a known safety issue on the backup camera for my car. (Jul 14,2023; Manufacturer Recall Number6023G; NHTSA Recall Number23V-487). I purchased the car in 2014. Around 2017, the backup camera began flickering and sometimes failing to load completely.  I took the vehicle to the Mazda dealership in Tustin, CA and they said there was nothing wrong with the camera. They said that I would have to pay approximately $500 for a new camera if I wanted one. I could not afford to replace the camera at that time, so the problem has persisted ever since. In July 2023, a notice of a safety recall was issued for the same issue with the camera. On [XXX], I took the vehicle to the same Mazda dealership and asked for the camera to be replaced due to the recall. They inspected the vehicle and agreed the camera was defective; however, they said they didn't have the parts yet to replace the camera and that I would receive something "official" about the recall later. It is now April 2024 and I have heard nothing. This safety issue has been going on for 7+ years and Mazda needs to take responsibility. The fact that they wanted to charge me for the camera in 2017 and now they say no cameras are available leaves me to believe that they are stalling and just don't want to incur the cost to fix the safety issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11584114

While accelerating onto a highway, my engine overheating light flashed then stayed on and my acceleration suddenly throttled back and my car started slowing down. I was able to pull over on the shoulder, but there was a close call with a semi bearing down. I had my car towed to a repair shop, where they told me the water jacket had cracked and the overheating caused a blown head gasket. This was repaired and tested. A week later, I got the car up to highway speeds and the engine overheating light flashed again. When I stopped and looked at the engine, there was foamy tan coolant all over the place. Towed it back again and was told the weld had failed. But in trying to find a used cylinder to replace mine, the shop told me that all of their sources said they had no used ones available because the same crack happened on those as well.

NHTSA ODI 11583891

The contact owns a 2014 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the camera image was distorted. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11582370