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What 129 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 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 (129)Crash / fire / injury (12)Brakes (26)Electrical system (24)Fuel system (14)Backup camera & sensors (12)Body & structure (6)Engine (6)Seats (6)Visibility & wipers (6)Lights (5)Transmission & drivetrain (5)

5 of 129 complaints match · Lights · clear filters

Apr 1, 2024Electrical systemLights

Vehicle touch screen has aggressive and persistent “ghost touch” during vehicle operation (while in drive), which should not be possible while in drive at all. This causes any setting or feature accessible through the vehicle “infotainment” system to be activated at random leading to distracting, undesired operation. There is no setting within the “infotainment” system that allows you to disable the touch screen, leading to dangerously distracting situations. There is a voluntary extended warranty period provided by Mazda, but I was not notified required by law, nor was the warranty service offered to me when bringing my car to dealership(s) during the warranty period. Mazda is not willing to pay to fix the acknowledged safety defect.

NHTSA ODI 11580498

Sep 10, 2020Lights

I HAVE REPLACED AT LEAST 10 EITHER HEADLIGHTS, FOG LIGHTS OR PARK LIGHTS ON THIS CAR. BOUGHT THE CAR NEW AND AT LEAST EVERY MONTH TO TWO MONTHS I AM REPLACING A BULB.

NHTSA ODI 11354227

Jul 6, 2016Lights

HEADLIGHTS ON LOW BEAM ARE AIMED TOO LOW AND THUS HAVE A VERY SHORT RANGE. DEALER SAID THEY WERE AT FACTORY SPEC SO HE WOULD NOT ADJUST THEM.

NHTSA ODI 10883156

Jan 11, 2016Electrical systemLightsBody & structureCrash

TURNING TO PARK HER VEHICLE, IN A PARKING LOT, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND HIT TWO PARKED CARS IN FRONT.

NHTSA ODI 10819278

Oct 19, 2015Lights

HEADLIGHTS ARE AIMED VERY LOW AND PROVIDE ZERO LIGHT ABOVE A LOW VERTICAL CUT OFF POINT. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY AIMED THE LIGHTS HIGHER, BUT I DO NOT NOTICE A DIFFERENCE. LOOKED AT CHANGING THE AIM MYSELF, BUT THERE IS NO OBVIOUS ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT IS FREQUENTLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE *ANYTHING* MORE THAN 8, 20, OR 70 FEET AHEAD WHEN THE GRADE OF THE ROADWAY CHANGES IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION, FOR INSTANCE AT THE BOTTOM OF A HILL WHEN THE ROADWAY BEGINS TO TRANSITION FROM LEVEL TO A POSITIVE GRADE UPHILL, OR AS YOU ARE TRAVELING DOWNHILL, REACH THE BOTTOM OF A HILL AND THE CAR IS POINTED DOWNHILL BUT THE ROAD AHEAD IS LEVEL. THIS IS ALSO A PROBLEM WHEN YOU ARE ON A HILL AND THE GRADE OF THE HILL CHANGES. THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE FINE ON PERFECTLY LEVEL ROADS, BUT ARE A CRASH WAITING TO HAPPEN ANYWHERE ELSE.

NHTSA ODI 10783528

Working with the data? Download all 129 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 2015 Mazda Mazda3 Sedan verdict →