What 102 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Mazda Mazda3 Sedan

The Mazda Connect infotainment system will begin to press random buttons and continue to perform its own actions, at one point resulting in it dimming my screen so low I could not see my backup camera screen, which is a huge safety hazard.

NHTSA ODI 11418198

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON 2-16-2021, ALL OF A SUDDEN WITH OUT WARNING, EVERY WARNING AND INFORMATION LIGHT LIGHT UP LIKE A XMAS TREE, THE POWER STEERING WENT AWAY MAKING IT HARD TO DRIVE, THE ENGINE RAN IN LIMP MODE., I MANAGE TO GET IT PULLED OFF TO A SAFE SPOT , TURN OFF THE CAR, AND THEN TRY TO RESTART . NO GO , DEAD THE DASH LIGHTS LIGHT UP BUT THE STARTER WILL NOT ENGAGE . TOWED TO DEALER, 1ST THEY SAYS ITS THE ENGINE COMPUTER, THEN ITS THE , TRANSMISSION COMPUTER . BUT WHEN I GET THE BILL , I SEE IT IS THE TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY HTTPS://WWW.MAZDASWAG.COM/OEM-PARTS/MAZDA-AUTOMATIC-TRANSMISSION-VALVE-BODY-FZ2121100J . MY CAR HAS ONLY 39900 MI ON IT ,MAZDA REFUSES TO HONOR ITS 5YR 50000 MI POWER TRAIN WARRANTY EVEN AFTER CALLING MAZDA CUSTOMER CARE

NHTSA ODI 11399552

THE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM COMPUTER IS ON CONSTANT REBOOT LOOP. AT FIRST IT WOULD ONLY OCCUR WHEN WEATHER WAS VERY COLD OR HOT. THEN IT STARTED HAPPENING AT LEAST 75% OF THE TIME NO MATTER THE WEATHER. I HAD MAZDA DEALERSHIP LOOK AT IT PRIOR TO FULL WARRANTY RUNNING OUT, THEY COULDN'T FIND AN ORIGIN OF ISSUE AND SIMPLY CHECKED FOR SOFTWARE UPDATES. IT STARTED HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY AND PAST FULL WARRANTY SO CANT GET LOOKED AT OR DIAGNOSED FOR FREE. A RECALL FOR THE INFOTAINMENT SCREEN WAS NOTIFIED TO ME AND REPLACED AT DEALERSHIP BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE. WHEN IT REBOOTS, IT OCCURS FOR ALMOST ENTIRE DRIVE, MAKING IT ALONG WITH ALL ITS FEATURES UNUSABLE. THIS IS DANGEROUS SINCE THE BACKUP CAMERA BLACKS OUT SPONTANEOUSLY WHEN IN REVERSE. THE HANDS FREE DRIVING, GPS, MUSIC, AND EVERYTHING ELSE RELATING TO INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM IS UNABLE TO BE USED. MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE AND MAZDA HAS NOT RECALLED THE PART. BECAUSE IT TURNS OFF ABRUPTLY WHEN BACKUP CAM AND GPS IS IN USE, IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. IT IS GENERALLY ALSO DISAPPOINTING BECAUSE A MAJOR FACTOR IN PURCHASING THAT YEAR AND MODEL OF MAZDA WAS DUE TO THE AWESOME INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM, BUT BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRED AND AFTER I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO USE IT 90% OF THE TIME.

NHTSA ODI 11399356

I DROVE MY CAR TO THE STORE THIS MORNING LISTENING PANDORA (BLUETOOTH) AND ON MY WAY BACK HOME THE INFOTAINMENT CENTER JUST STARTED TO REBOOT CONTINUOUSLY AFTER I FOUND OUT RESETTING IT COULD HELP I DID THE BACK+NAV+MUTE BUT IT DIDN'T WORK I WENT TO THE MAZDA FORUM AND FOUND OUT THIS WAS AN ISSUE WITH MANY MAZDA FANS I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT REPLACEMENT OF THE CMU IS VERY EXPENSIVE SINCE THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH SO MANY MAZDA FANS WHY ISN'T THERE A RECALL TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM? MY BACKUP CAMERA WORKS AND ONE RADIO STATION THERE IS NO GPS AND BLUETOOTH JUST CONTINUES TO REBOOT EVEN WHILE DRIVING

NHTSA ODI 11390115

I PARKED AT THE TOP OF MY DRIVEWAY AT A SLIGHT INCLINE POSITION WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ENGAGED AND THE CAR WAS IN SECOND GEAR (MANUAL TRANSMISSION). IT WAS IN A STATIONARY POSITION AT THAT TIME. MY FAMILY EXITED THE VEHICLE AND WE WENT INSIDE OUR HOME. APPROXIMATELY A HALF OUR LATER I NOTICE MY CAR ROLLED DOWN MY DRIVEWAY AND CRASHED IN BETWEEN TWO TREES ON MY PROPERTY. EITHER THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FAILED OR THE CAR'S TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE PARKED. THE CAR WAS FOUND AT THE BOTTOM OF MY PROPERTY STILL IN GEAR AND HAD THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN THE ENGAGED POSITION.

NHTSA ODI 11376902

DURING HOT SUMMER MONTHS WHEN RUNNING ERRANDS (FOR EXAMPLE) WHICH WOULD REQUIRE STOPPING AND RE-STARTING THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, THE CABIN WILL BEGIN TO FILL WITH GAS FUMES. THIS WILL START ABOUT 30 MINUTES INTO THE TRIP. THE FUMES BECOME SO STRONG THAT I BECOME SICK AND HAVE A HEADACHE. YOU CAN SMELL FUMES INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN DURING HIGHWAY TRAVEL. EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A RECALL ISSUE FOR THE 2016 MAZDA 3, FOR SOME REASON IT DOES NOT APPLY TO MY MAZDA 3. IF I WANT TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED, I WOULD HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE REPLACED BY MAZDA.

NHTSA ODI 11365959

THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, GOING WEST, ANOTHER VEHICLE IN MOTION HIT ME, BY THE TIME IT WAS OVER I WAS FACING EAST AND WENT UP A CURB AND INTO A WALL OF A HOMEOWNERS YARD

NHTSA ODI 11365211

RATTLING/FLUTTERING NOISE EVERYTIME I INITIALLY TURN THE CAR ON WITH AC. WHENEVER THE A/C WAS IS ON AND I STEP ON THE ACCELERATOR. NOW, IT DOES IT EVERYTIME I PUSH ON THE ACCELERATOR WITHOUT THE A/C BEING ON.

NHTSA ODI 11365257

ALL OF THE WINDOWS HAVE BUBBLES AND RIPPLES IN THE FACTORY TINT WHICH CAUSES POOR VISIBILITY. THE WINDOWS HAVE TO BE ROLLED DOWN TO TO SEE ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE RIPPLES AND BUBBLES ARE SO BAD THAT YOU CAN'T SEE OUT OF THE REAR VIEW OR SIDE VIEW MIRRORS WHICH COULD EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 11363942

POWER BREAK BOOSTER FAILURE. MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STOP.

NHTSA ODI 11362823

WATER GETS INTO THE TRUNK AND FILLS UP THE SPARE TIRE WELL. CAUSING MOLD AND RUST INSIDE TRUNK. THROUGHOUT BARING INSIDE CLUTCH/TRANSMISSION COMPONENT EXPLODES DESTROYING THE CLUTCH AND TRANSMISSION. PARKING BREAK DOESN'T DISENGAGE CORRECTLY CAUSING BRAKES TO WEAR DOWN QUICKLY. WATER GETTING INTO REAR BREAK CALIPERS MAKING THEM DEFECTIVE. THIS HAS HAPPENED MAINLY IN CITY STREET DRIVING BUT NOTICEABLE ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11323902

THE INFOTAMINMENT SYSTEM COMPUTER IS ON CONSTANT REBOOT LOOP,MAKING IT ALONG WITH ALL ITS FEATURES UNUSABLE. THIS IS DANGEROUS SINCE THE BACKUP CAMERA BLACKS OUT AND ALSO THE HANDS FREE DRIVING IS UNABLE TO BE USED. THE SYSTEM WAS WORKING FINE IN THE MORNING AND WHEN I WENT TO DRIVE HOME IT CRASHED AFTER STARTING THE CAR. MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE AND MAZDA HAS NOT RECALLED THE PART.

NHTSA ODI 11316292

SUNROOF GLASS SHATTERED OUTWARD WITHOUT ANY CAUSE OR WARNING. THE SUNROOF WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME AND THERE WERE NO CRACKS, NO BREAKS, NO LEAKS, NO WEAKNESSES IDENTIFIED. WHEN IT SHATTERED, I WAS DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE 25 AT APPROXIMATELY 78 MPH. TIRES ARE PROPERLY INFLATED.

NHTSA ODI 11309512

MY CAR HAS 28330 MILES. I BOUGHT THE CAR TWO YEARS AGO. LAST WEEK I WAS PARK IN FROM OF MY HOUSE. IN THE MORNING, I GOT IN THE CAR AND MY STEERING WHEEL DOESN'T TURN. I TOOK IT TO MAZDA AND THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME $3200 TO FIX THIS. THEY WON'T TELL MY WHAT HAPPEN OTHER THAN I NEED A NEW STEERING RACKS. I BARELY DRIVE THIS CAR, NEVER ROUGH, ALWAY SERVICE IT. THIS CAR IS TOO NEW TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. MAZDA WILL NOT EVEN TRY TO HELP ME. THIS CAR IS MY LIFELINE.

NHTSA ODI 11300597

MY 2016 MAZDA 3 IS DOING THE SAME THING AS WHAT YOU JUST HAD A RECALL ON WITH THE SOFTWARE BUT MAZDA UPDATED THE SOFTWARE AND IT'S BACK AGAIN MY CAR IS HAVING TROUBLE GOING IT MISFIRES MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IT'S ON IT TAKES A LOT OF RPMS TO GO IT'S SUCKING UP MY GAS I'VE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE MY BATTERY BECAUSE MY CAR IS DYING MY FUSE BOX SMOKES EVERY NOW AND THEN AND I ONLY HAVE 45000 MILES THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING

NHTSA ODI 11298609

PROBLEM WITH MY 2016 MAZDA 3 4-DOOR. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT CUSHION TRIM IS COMING OFF THE SEAT FRAME AT THE FRONT END. THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE REPORTED IN TECHNICAL BULLETIN 09-025/19 EXCEPT THAT BULLETIN REFERS TO MODELS BUILD IN MEXICO, MINE WAS BUILT IN JAPAN. TULLEY MAZDA WANTS TO CHARGE ME $500 TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PART.

NHTSA ODI 11280724

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON CAR WAS SMOKING AFTER I DROVE IT NOT VERY FAR TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THERE CLAIMING SOFTWARE ISSUE MY CAR BATTERY IS ALMOST COMPLETELY DRAINED AND I JUST GOT THIS CAR SOMETIME KEYS WON'T WORK OR MY CAR WON'T START

NHTSA ODI 11280729

THIS IS IN REFERENCE TO A MAZDA RECALL I RECEIVED IN THE MAIL IN 08/19. I OWN A 2016 MAZDA3 AND THE RECALL NOTICE WAS FOR THE SOFTWARE/DISPLAY CONSOLE. I CALLED HYMAN BROS MAZDA IN NEWPORT NEWS, VA TO MAKE APPT TO GET THIS FIXED ON 08/21/19 AND WAS REFERRED TO THE SERVICE DEPT. I MADE AN APPT AND WAS SEEN ON 08/28/19. I DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHEN I MADE THE APPT ON 08/21/19 THAT THIS WAS NOT TO REPAIR MY VEHICLE BUT TO LOOK AND CONFIRM THAT IS WHAT I NEEDED. I TOOK TIME OFF WORK FOR WHAT ENDED UP BEING A 5 MIN APPT TO CONFIRM I DID IN FACT NEED THAT PART. HOWEVER I AM STILL WAITING ON THAT PART. I HAVE CALLED WEEKLY FOR A STATUS UPDATE AND THE BEST THE PARTS DEPT. CAN OFFER ME IS THAT THE PART IS ON BACK ORDER AND NOT SURE WHEN IT WILL COME IN. MEANWHILE I AM STILL DRIVING MY VEHICLE AND THE ELECTRONIC DISPLAY WILL INTERMITTENTLY NOT WORK. THE NAVIGATION FEATURE AT TIMES IS NOT USABLE, OTHER TIMES IT WILL AUTO DIAL NUMBERS IN MY CALL HISTORY WITHOUT MY PROMPTING OR AUTOMATICALLY JUMP FROM ONE RADIO STATION TO ANOTHER. I FEEL THAT IT HAS BECOME UNSAFE FOR ME TO DRIVE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER I AM EXPECTED TO WAIT ON A PART FROM A NATIONWIDE RECALL TO GET MY CAR FIXED. I CALLED 11 TIMES SINCE 08/19 AND SENT 2 EMAIL REQUESTS THROUGH THE HYMAN BROS MAZDA WEBSITE WITH NO RESPONSE. THE 1ST TIME I SENT THIS QUERY, I RECEIVED AN AUTO MESSAGE ON 09/11/19 STATING THEY RECEIVED MY EMAIL AND WILL BE IN CONTACT WITH ME SHORTLY. THAT WAS OVER A MONTH AGO AND I HAVE YET TO RECEIVE ANY RESPONSE. THE 2ND TIME I SENT A QUERY ON 10/17/19 AND AGAIN RECEIVED AN AUTO RESPONSE STATING THEY WILL BE IN CONTACT WITH ME BUT STILL NOTHING. ON 10/22/19, THE CAR AUTO-DIALED 5 TIMES AND PREVENTED ME FROM HANGING UP. THIS WAS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN AS I WAS DRIVING DISTRACTED TRYING TO SHUT IT OFF. I PARKED THE CAR AND DISCONNECTED THE BLUE TOOTH FEATURE FROM MY CELLPHONE.

NHTSA ODI 11270756

MY CAR TWICE IN ONE DAY SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR AND BECAME UNRESPONSIVE WHEN I TRIED TO USE THE ACCELERATOR. I WAS ON A SURFACE STREET MAKING A U TURN THE FIRST TIME, AND HAD MADE A RIGHT TURN THE SECOND TIME. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AFTER THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED. HE TOLD ME IT WAS THE MODULE IN MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION THAT WAS SENDING A FAULTY SIGNAL. THERE IS A RECALL FOR OTHER 2016 MAZDA 3 VEHICLES FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT MY VIN ISN'T INCLUDED, SO A MAZDA DEALER I CALLED REFUSED TO FIX IT UNLESS I PAID FOR IT.

NHTSA ODI 11243121

6/18/19 6:45 AM: MY CAR 'STALLED' OR LOST POWER AS I WAS ACCELERATING AND TURNING LEFT ACROSS A BOULEVARD (US 51 HWY IN MCFARLAND, WI). LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, PUT THE CAR IN PARK, TURNED OFF THE CAR (EVEN THOUGH I HAD NO POWER), WAITED A FEW SECONDS AND RESTARTED IT. THERE WERE A LOT OF DASH WARNING LIGHTS TRIGGERED ONCE I LOST POWER, BUT I DO NOT RECALL SPECIFICALLY WHICH ONES. I RESUMED DRIVING AND HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM SINCE. HOWEVER, I DID FIND OUT LATER (JULY 10, 2019) THAT MY CAR COULD BE UNDER NHTSA RECALL NO. 19V497000, BUT WAS TOLD BY MY DEAL RUSS DARROW-MADISON, WI, ON 7/26/19 THAT MY CAR WAS NOT ELIGIBLE. I ASKED IF THEY REPORT THE PROBLEM TO ANYONE & THEY SAID NO, BUT IF THERE IS A RECALL ON MY CAR, IT WOULD HAVE DOCUMENTATION IN THEIR NOTES THAT SAYS THERE WAS A PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 11241074

CMU IS ON A CONSTANT REBOOT. BROUGHT TO MAZDA DEALERSHIP TO BE NOTIFIED THE CMU NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. CAR IS ONLY 3.5 YEARS OLD WITH 53K MILES. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE CARS BUT MAZDA WON'T PAY FOR THE REPAIR BECAUSE IT'S OUT OF WARRANTY. 1200+ FOR REPAIR. CONTACTED CORPORATE AND THEY OFFERED $500 TOWARDS THE REPAIR. NOT GOOD ENOUGH, WILL BE GETTING RID OF THE CAR AND THEY LOST A LOYAL MAZDA CUSTOMER FOREVER. MAZDA IS STAYING THIS ISN'T A SAFETY ISSUE THAT IS WHY THERE IS NO RECALL. I BEG TO DIFFER. HAVING AN INFOTAINMENT CENTER THAT IS ON A CONSTANT REBOOT IS VERY DISTRACTING AND HALF THE TIME WHEN I REVERSE THE CAMERA DOESN'T LIGHT UP DEPENDING ON WHERE IN THE REBOOT CYCLE IT IS.

NHTSA ODI 11229330

TEMPERATURE CONTROL STOPS WORKING. THE KNOB FOR TEMPERATURE CONTROL WILL NOT MOVE, THE TEMP CONTROL LINK UNDER DASH DISCONNECTS. WINDSHIELD BECOMES FOGGED AND CANNOT SEE OUT. THIS HAPPENS WHEN CAR IS BOTH MOVING AND STATIONARY. VERY DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH WHEN TRAVELLING ON FREEWAYS.

NHTSA ODI 11221335

REAR DEFROSTER DONT WORK. WHEN I PUSH THE DEFROST BUTTON IT STAYS ON FOR 5 SECONDS AND GOES OFF.

NHTSA ODI 11209312

A SENSOR (YELLOW/ORANGE COLOR) APPEARS ON THE DASHBOARD INTERMITTENTLY. THE SETTINGS IN THE CAR SAY "BATTERY MGT. SYSTEM MALFUNCTION". AT THE TIMES WHEN THIS ERROR IS NOT ON THE DASHBOARD, THERE IS NO MESSAGE THAT ANYTHING IS WRONG. MY CAR ONLY HAS 23K MILES. THE DEALER WILL NOT DO A SENSOR CHECK BECAUSE IT IS JUST OVER 3 YEARS OLD.

NHTSA ODI 11208115

WINDSHIELD WIPER CONCERN RECALL ON MAZDA 3 VEHICLES.

NHTSA ODI 11205926