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What 83 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Mazda Mazda3

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)

3 of 83 complaints match · Driver assistance · clear filters

Jun 5, 2025BrakesDriver assistanceCrash1 injury

I made a right turn onto a gravel driveway that has a slight incline. My speed was less than 10 mph. At the top of the incline I attempted to make a U turn so I could park the car. Midway through the U turn the car's acceleration increased rapidly to high speed without my stepping on the accelerator. I pressed the brake 3 times. The brake pedal went to the floor without seemingly any effect. In seconds the car traveled across the front lawn, picked up concrete from and old cistern top and smashed into the front porch tearing it off it's foundation. Portions of the porch and tree limb fell shortly after the impact. The front tire was spinning at a rapid rate when I exited the vehicle. Extraction of the vehicle was not accomplished for 2 weeks while experts determined how best to accomplish the extraction. The car insurance company and 2 towing businesses declared the vehicle a total loss. The vehicle is with the towing company per car insurance company request. I don't know if it has been inspected. I did not see any warning lights. I was treated at the hospital for a slight concussion and significant head and facial bruising and lacerations as well as a wrist burn likely caused by air bag deployment.

NHTSA ODI 11665128

Apr 22, 2024Electrical systemDriver assistanceBackup camera & sensors

The contact owns a 2017 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while driving at various speeds in the rain or in the snow, the instrument cluster, the instrument panel, and the infotainment system became inoperable, causing the Forward Sensing Camera system to become inoperable. Additionally, the contact stated that the rearview camera was inoperable while reversing in the rain or in the snow. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while operating the vehicle in inclement weather. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

NHTSA ODI 11584492

Jul 5, 2023Electrical systemLane DepartureDriver assistance

VEHICLES CENTER CONSOLE DISPLAY SCREEN SUFFERS FROM GHOST TOUCHES. THE DISPLAY REGISTERS INPUTS FROM THE TOUCHSCREEN WITH NO ONE TOUCHING THE DISPLAY THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE THAT IS ON THE 14-16 VERSIONS OF THIS VEHICLE. THE DISPLAY SELF NAVIGATES CAUSING A SUBSTANTIAL DISTRACTION AND INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF A CRASH. AS WELL ON A FEW INSTANCES SELF NAVIGATES THROUGH THE MENU AND SOMETIMES ENABLES OR DIABLES ADAS SYSTEM FEATURES COLLISION PREVENTION ETC.

NHTSA ODI 11530520

Working with the data? Download all 83 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 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 verdict →