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What 83 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Mazda Mazda3 Hatchback

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 (83)Crash / fire / injury (6)Electrical system (20)Backup camera & sensors (11)Brakes (7)Engine (5)Visibility & wipers (5)Body & structure (4)Driver assistance (3)Fuel system (3)Suspension (3)Transmission & drivetrain (3)

Newest first · 83 complaints · page 4 of 4

Jun 15, 2018Transmission & drivetrainSpeed control

WHEN FROM A FULL STOP, THEN WITH WHEN NEEDING TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY, THERE IS A DELAY IN ENGINE RESPONSE. USUALLY HALF A SECOND TO ONE FULL SECOND DELAY IN ENGINE RESPONSE BEFORE IT STARTS TO ACCELERATE. ONE ONE OCCASION, IT DID NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL. I HAD TO THEN LET MY FOOT OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL AND PRESS DOWN ON THE GAS AGAIN FOR IT TO FINALLY ACCELERATE. THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS FOR EXAMPLE WHEN I WAS ON THE FREEWAY. MY LANE WAS STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC, BUT THE LANE TO MY RIGHT WAS OPEN, SO I WAITED TILL IT WAS CLEAR THEN TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND PRESS THE GAS PEDAL. WELL TO MY SURPRISE IT DID NOT ACCELERATE AND CONSISTENTLY MOVED AROUND 5 MPH, WELL THERE WAS A CAR COMING IN THAT LANE AND MY CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE SO I LET OFF MY FOOT AND PRESS THE GAS AGAIN AND IT STARTED TO ACCELERATE.

NHTSA ODI 11101965

May 29, 2018Electrical system

WHEN STARTING THE CAR SMART CITY BRAKE AMBER WARNING LIGHT AND SMART CITY AMBER FAULT LIGHT WILL SOMETIMES APPEAR ON THE DASH AFTER CAR SITS IN HOT SUN AND REMAIN ON AFTER CAR IS STARTED AND IS BEING DRIVEN. THE WARNING LIGHTS MAY OR MAY NOT DISAPPEAR WHILE THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN. THE FIRST TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS SOON AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR MAY 25, 2017. THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED AND AFTER INVESTIGATING REPLACED THE FORWARD SENSING CAMERA (FSC) AND PERFORMED A DYNAMIC AIMING PROCEDURE SYSTEM OPERATION. NO FURTHER SIMILAR PROBLEM WAS ENCOUNTERED UNTIL MAY, 2018. THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS AGAIN NOTIFIED OF THE REPEAT PROBLEM. AFTER AGAIN INVESTIGATING THE PROBLEM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT INFORMED ME "....THE FSC CANNOT OPERATE NORMALLY DUE TO HIGH TEMPERATURES, THE SYSTEM FUNCTIONS RELATED TO THE FSC ARE TEMPORARILY STOPPED AND THE WARNING LIGHTS ARE DISPLAYED. HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT A INDICATE A MALFUNCTION." TSB15-006/17 (NHTSA ID:101234390) WAS CITED. ADDITIONAL WRITTEN INFORMATION FROM MAZDA WAS ALSO SUPPLIED BY THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHICH STATED "THE WARNING LIGHTS WILL TURN OFF WHEN THE FSC COOLS DOWN BY TURNING ON THE AIR CONDITIONER OR PARKING IN THE SHADE" ALL OF THE ABOVE INFORMATION INDICATES THE SYSTEM FUNCTIONS RELATED TO THE FSC ARE TEMPORARILY STOPPED BUT THERE IS NO MALFUNCTION AND THE SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE COOLED DOWN. THIS MAYBE TRUE BUT IS IT ALWAYS TRUE OR IS IT A SAFETY HAZARD MALFUNCTION DUE TO FAILURE OF THE FSC FOR A REASON OTHER THAN A HEAT. COPIES OF THE REPAIR INVOICES CAN BE MAILED TO YOU IF NEEDED.

NHTSA ODI 11098712

May 3, 2018Electrical systemEngine

MAKING A RIGHT TURN FROM A STOP ONTO A FREEWAY SIDE STREET. IT IS A 50 MPH ZONE. ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE TURN ON LIGHT THROTTLE AT ABOUT 10 MPH, I GIVE IT THE GAS AND NOTHING HAPPENS. THE ENGINE IS STILL RUNNING BUT WILL NOT ACCELERATE. I LET OFF THE THROTTLE COMPLETELY THAN REAPPLY IT. NOW IT ACCELERATES. GAS TANK IS SLIGHTLY OVER 1/4 FULL. THIS HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPORTED TO MAZDA AS IT HAS OCCURRED A FEW TIMES BEFORE. THEY HAD INSTALLED A RECORDING DEVICE IN THE CAR FOR A WHOLE MONTH BACK IN JANUARY THIS YEAR. TODAY WAS THE FIRST TIME SINCE BEFORE THE BLACK BOX THAT THIS PROBLEM CAME BACK. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED IN AUGUST 2017.

NHTSA ODI 11091527

Feb 27, 2018Brakes

WE LEASED THIS CAR IN JULY OF 2017. A COUPLE WEEKS LATER ON 8/9/17 MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE CAR. AS SHE APPROACHED THE EXIT RAMP ON A HIGHWAY NEAR OUR HOUSE SHE FELT WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS ANOTHER CAR HITTING HER IN THE REAR. SINCE NO VEHICLES STOPPED SHE DROVE THE CAR TO A CORNER NEAR OUR HOUSE WHILE HEARING A LOUD GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS THAT THE DRIVER SIDE REAR BRAKE UNIT WAS MISSING 1 OF THE 2 BOLTS THAT HELD IT IN PLACE AND THE SECOND BOLT HAD DISLODGED TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO HOLD THE BRAKE UNIT IN PLACE. LUCKILY THE UNIT DID NOT COMPROMISE THE INTEGRITY OF THE BODY WHEN IT WAS DISLODGED AT 55 MILES PER HOUR AND MY DAUGHTER DID NOT LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THIS WAS A BRAND-NEW CAR THAT WAS DELIVERED TO OUR DEALER FROM ANOTHER DEALER AND PREPARED FOR US BY OUR DEALER, HUNTINGTON MAZDA. WE ASKED THEM TO ENGAGE MAZDA TO FIND OUT HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED. IT APPEARS THAT NO INVESTIGATION ACTUALLY TOOK PLACE AND THE VEHICLE WAS FIXED AND RETURNED TO US AFTER ABOUT 3 OR 4 WEEKS DUE TO PARTS AVAILABILITY. I HAVE A GREAT CONCERN THAT THIS ISSUE MAY NOT BE LIMITED TO OUR VEHICLE AND THAT SOMEONE COULD BE IN DANGER. THE QA MARKINGS APPEAR WHERE THE BOLTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN, SO THIS DEFECT OCCURRED EITHER AT THE DEALER OR A RESULT OF NORMAL OPERATION DISLODGING THE BOLTS. THE ATTACHED IMAGES SHOW THE BRAKES FROM THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. I ALSO CREATED A SECOND COPY OF EACH OF THE PICTURE WITH THE AREA IF INTEREST HIGHLIGHTED.

NHTSA ODI 11075322

Jan 31, 2018Transmission & drivetrainElectronic Stability Control (esc)

ENGINE SHUT DOWN IN TRAFFIC AND WOULD NOT COME OUT OF DRIVE. MAZDA DEALER SERVICE TOLD ME TO DISCONNECT BATTERY TO RESET SYSTEM. I THINK THIS IS SAFETY ISSUE. PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH ANSWER

NHTSA ODI 11066024

Jan 24, 2018Wheels

AS I DROVE ALONG A MAJOR ROUTE, I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT. WHEN ITTURNEDGREEN, I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE FORWARD AND FELT CAR PULLING TO RIGHT SIDE. AS MY SPEED INCREASED TO 25, THE PULL BECAME STRONGER BUT, I PROCEEDED SLOWLY AND REMAINED UNDER 30MPH. AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE, I HEARD THREE TONE ALERTS FOLLOWED BY LOW PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT. PULLED OVER, CALLED AAA WHO REPLACED FLAT TIRE. THE SIDEWALL WAS SPIDERED PATTERN AND BLOWN. THIS MORNING, I NOTICED THAT ANOTHER TIRE HAS THAT SAME SPIDER PATTERN BUT IS NOT BLOWN OUT. I CONTACTED DUNLOP TO INQUIRE IF THERE ANY RECALL AND WAS INFORMED THERE WAS NOT. I WAS TOLD THESE TIRES DUNLOP SP SPORT 5000 215/45R/18 89W HAVE REINFORCED SIDEWALLS THAT PREVENT BLOWOUTS AND FLATS; I INQUIRED IF THE GRADE OF RUBBER COULD WITHSTAND THE SALT COVERED ROADS OF NEW ENGLAND BECAUSE I HAD WITNESSED DAMAGE TO RUBBER SOLES OF BARETRAP BOOTS WITH A SIMILIAR SPIDER PATTERN A FEW WINTERS AGO CAUSED FROM ROCK SALT. I WAS TOLD THEY ARE UNAWARE THAT ROCK SALT COULD BE A CAUSE OF DEGRADE IN RUBBER . IN ADDITION, IT HAD BEEN RAINING HEAVILY AT TIMES AND ACCORDING TO MAZDA, CERTAIN CONDITIONS WILL PUSH/SHIFT LOAD TO FRONT OF VEHICLE. WHETHER THIS ADDED LOAD CAUSED THE TIRE TO BLOW AND ADD SPIDER PATTERN TO TIRE STILL ON VEHILCE BUT NOT FLAT (PUCTURED BELIW) OR THE MANUFACTURER SELECTED TIRES THAT CAN'T CARRY THE LOAD, OR THE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE

NHTSA ODI 11064669

Dec 15, 2017Airbags

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT BEGAN TO BLINK ON THE DRIVER DISPLAY. AFTER REACHING MY DESTINATION AND AFTER TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE AND TURNING IT BACK ON THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT DISAPPEARED AND DID NOT COME BACK ON.

NHTSA ODI 11054988

May 12, 2017Body & structure

WINDSHIELD HAS MULTIPLE RIPPLES FROM THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE PILLARS TO 6 INCHES IN. THIS CONDITION CAUSES EYE STRAIN WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE TO LOOK OUT OF THE SIDE WINDOW TO CLEAR/ RESET MY EYES, THEN, LOOK THOUGH THE RIPPLED WINDSHIELD. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE DAY 1 (2 MONTHS IN) AND NO RESOLUTION. POTENTIAL CAUSE FOR ACCIDENT DUE TO HAVING TO NOT FACE FORWARD. ISSUE OCCURS AT ANY STAGE OF OPERATION, DAY TIME IS WORSE THAN NIGHT. WEATHER CONDITIONS NO NOT CHANGE ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 10985045

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Working with the data? Download all 83 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 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 2017 Mazda Mazda3 Hatchback verdict →