What 107 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Mazda Mazda3 Sedan

In 2023, the reverse camera would either flicker or completely shut off (displaying a blank screen) while the reverse gear is engaged. While reversing the vehicle to park onto the property the rear camera image failed to display in the vehicle, leading to a collision with the curb. The limited visibility out of the rear windshield for the Mazda 3 leads to a typical driver relying on the camera display to show obstructions not visible through the rear and side mirrors. This failure lead to the car impacting the curb and the passenger being shocked that the car was in an accident. If that was child or small animal, they would have been hit or run over. Luckily, this failure only resulted in property damage, a large dent in the bumper, and possible exhaust damage (see attached). A recall notice for this known Mazda camera issue was sent out in the mail by the manufacturer at the end of 2023. Mazda failed to address the issue when inquired over the phone, instead stating they "Would be in contact once a solution was found." Mazda did not reach out or notify me at any point with a solution until the incident above occurred. After contacting Mazda by phone to address the issue, they said there is still no solution found but to take the vehicle down for a diagnostic test that would be the owner's responsibility to pay for if it was found to be a "owner issue". After a brief discussion and multiple phone calls, Mazda stated they would make the repair as it was confirmed to be a Mazda issue that had just been solved. However, the car would need to be kept over the weekend and a loaner vehicle would be provided. Mazda also stated the collision was a driver issue and Mazda will not be responsible for anything that occurs while using the vehicle. At that point, the dealership was unwilling to assist me and I left. This seems to be a Mazda originating issue, if the rear camera functioned as intended, the curb would have been visible and the impact could have been avoided.

NHTSA ODI 11603286

VEHICLE WAS OFF AND UNATTENDED IN PARKING LOT:MANUAL TRANSMISSION WHICH I'VE DRIVEN MY WHOLE LIFE & I'M NO SPRING CHICKEN. LIVE IN FLAT CITY WHERE HILL/ROLLING BACK HAS NEVER BEEN AN ISSUE. CAR HAS ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE. 1 DAY A YEAR INTO THE LEASE, WAS PARKED @A PUMP@TGAS STATION &WHEN CAME OUT,CAR HAD MOVED/ROLLED BACK. SHOCKINGLY I THOUGHT I MESSED UP/MIGHT'VE FORGOTTEN2 ENGAGE PARKING BRAKE, DESPITE IT BECOMING 2ND NATURE. THANKED GOD DIDN'T ROLL BACK INTO ANYTHING/ANYONE, VOWED 2 BE XTRA MINDFUL/CAREFUL.TURNS OUT NO MATTER HOW CAREFUL/MINDFUL I'VE BEEN,JUST THE OTHER DAY IT HAPPENED AGAIN.THIS TIME, HUSBAND WAS IN THE CAR W/ME &SWORE SAW ME AS USUAL, AS 2ND NATURE, ENGAGE THE ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE. MIND U,HAVE NEVER PUT IT INTO 1ST YEAR 2 PARK BECAUSE NEVER NEEDED 2. I GUESS SHOULD HAVE THIS TIME AS BACK-UP 2 THE ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE THAT DIDN'T ENGAGE. WE WERE ACROSS THE LOT AT THE ATM WHEN WE SAW CAR ROLLING BACK. HUSBAND RAN 2 TRY 2 STOP IT BEFORE IT COULD HIT SOMETHING BUT HE DIDN'T SUCCEED. IT WAS 2 HEAVY & ENDED UP CRASHING IN2 THE POSTS& HANDRAIL THAT I GUESS ARE THERE FOR THAT EXACT REASON. POSTS STOPPED CAR BUT HUSBAND HURT HIS WRIST & NECK IN HIS ATTEMPT 2BE SUPERMAN. POSTS OF COURSE HAD NO DAMAGE. CONTACTED MAZDA,THEY SAID THEY'D CHECK IT OUT. I REFERENCED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL IN PRIOR YEARS. THEY SAID NO RECALL HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED FOR THIS YEAR. DURING THIS WHOLE COVID-19 & HUSBAND BEING FURLOUGHED, THE LAST THING WE NEED IS AN EXTRA EXPENSE AS MY INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE WILL BE. CAR IS @DEALER NOW & THEY'RE TESTING IT 2SEE IF IT HAPPENS WHILE IN THEIR SHOP.I HATE FOR THIS TO BE A FAULTY PART OR WARRANTY ISSUE BUT ALSO HOPING IT IS SO IT WILL BE ANNOUNCED &OTHER PEOPLE CAN LEARN ABOUT THIS HORRIBLE POSSIBILITY O GRATEFUL THAT CAR DID NOT ROLL BACK AND INJURE A PERSON OR AN ANIMAL! UGH! BEWARE! *TR

NHTSA ODI 11330612

ON 2/14/19 BETWEEN 2:30 AND 3 P.M., MY MOTHER (MELISSA DODSON) WAS INVOLVED IN A FATAL CAR ACCIDENT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE (A 2004 GMC ENVOY) THAT RESULTED IN BEING DOA. SHE WAS DRIVING A 2018 MAZDA MAZDA3 SPORT FOUR DR AND TRAVELING WESTBOUND ON EAST HANOVER RD IN GRAHAM, NC AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE UNSUBSTANTIATED POLICE REPORT, IT STATED THAT MY MOTHER'S CAR VEERED/CROSSED THE DOUBLE YELLOW LINE BEFORE IMPACT. HOWEVER, THE ENVOY WAS REPORTEDLY DOING 55 MPH UPON ENTERING THE "S" CURVE SECTION OF THE NARROW 35 MPH TWO-LANE ROAD (WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE CRASH). IN MY MUST HUMBLING OPINION, I HAVE REASONS TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS MORE TO THE ACCIDENT CAUSING MY MOTHER'S DEATH THAT GRAHAM POLICE IS NOT INVESTIGATING OR HAS NOT INVESTIGATED. WHAT I MEAN IS THAT I HAVE REASONS TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS STILL AN OPEN RECALL ON THE MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE THAT MY MOTHER PURCHASED (LESS THAN A MONTH BEFORE THE ACCIDENT); HOWEVER, I PERSONALLY FEEL THIS CONCERN IS NOT BEING TAKEN SERIOUSLY. ENCLOSED I HAVE PROVIDED A COPY OF (IN MY OPINION) INCOMPLETE POLICE REPORT AND PICTURES OF MY MOTHER'S WRECKED VEHICLE AND ALSO I HAVE A LINK TO THE NEWSPAPER COVERAGE OF THE ACCIDENT SITE TOO! HTTPS://WWW.THETIMESNEWS.COM/NEWS/20190215/BURLINGTON-WOMAN-KILLED-IN-THURSDAY-WRECK-POLICE-STILL-INVESTIGATING-CAUSE

NHTSA ODI 11191637

COMING OFF THE BQE IN NYC, ON A SHARP TURN EXIT RAMP LOST STEERING CONTROL. THE CAR VEERED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT INTO THE BARRIER CAUSING ALL THE SIDE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY. LUCKY IT WAS AT A LOW SPEED SO NOBODY WAS HURT AND VERY MINOR BODY DAMAGE CAUSED. I HAD MY SON IN THE CAR, THE AIRBAG SAVED HIM FROM HITTING HIS HEAD INTO THE WINDOW. THE TOWTRUCK DRIVER SAID IT LOOKED AS IF THE STEERING FAILED BECAUSE THE STEERING COLOM DETACHED.

NHTSA ODI 11186935

THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN BY MY WIFE IN THE RIGHT LANE ON 3 LANE WIDE I-95 SOUTH IN CONNECTICUT AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS, APPX 55-60 MPH. ACCORDING TO HER, THE CAR LURCHED LEFT AT ALMOST 90 DEGREES AND IT WAS AS IF SHE HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE STEERING AND THE WHEEL WAS NOT TURNING LIKE NORMAL POWER STEERING TURNS THE WHEEL. SHE CROSSED OVER ALL THREE LANES, AND IT CRASHED INTO THE CENTER DIVIDER SO THAT THE LEFT DRIVER'S SIDE WAS DAMAGED FROM FRONT TO BACK. SHE SAID IT WAS AS IF SHE HAD NO STEERING CONTROL AT ALL. FORTUNATELY SHE WAS NOT INJURED. BUT THE UNEXPLAINED LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL SOUNDED LIKE THE PROBLEM EARLIER WITH THE TOYOTA. IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS, THEN THERE COULD BE A REAL PROBLEM. .

NHTSA ODI 11181686

ON SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2018, I WAS DRIVING OUT OF THE STATE, DURING A ROAD TRIP ON MY WAY FROM CANNON BEACH TO PORTLAND IN THE STATE OF OREGON AROUND 9PM, I WAS DRIVING MY 2018 MAZDA 3 ON NORTH OF HIGHWAY I-5 WHEN RAIN BEGAN DURING RUSH TRAFFIC. I HAD THE AUTOMATIC FRONT WIPERS ON AND THEY BEGAN PERFORMING THEIR FUNCTION FOR ABOUT 3 MINUTES WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY WENT OFF. RAIN GOT HEAVIER AND EVEN AFTER TRYING TO ACTUATE THE WIPER LEVER TO HIGH SPEED, THE FRONT WIPERS FAILED TO START WORKING AGAIN. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF A THREE-WAY ROAD AND WAS HAVING A HARD TIME TRYING TO SEE THROUGH TO GO STOP AND PARK IN A SHOULDER. TRAFFIC BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN AND I COULD BARELY SEE THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. I TURNED ON THE EMERGENCY LIGHTS AND BEGAN HONKING TO TRY TO STOP IN THE LEFT SHOULDER. HOWEVER, TRAFFIC SUDDENLY BEGAN TO STOP AND I HAD TO HARD BRAKE BEFORE CRASHING INTO A TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME, BUT ANOTHER TRUCK MANAGED TO BARELY EVADE ME HOWEVER IT DID SCRAPE ME AND THE REAR OF THE CAR, I COULD NOT SEE THE LICENSE PLATE OF THE TRUCK DUE TO THE WIPERS NOT WORKING DURING THE DOWNPOUR. I HAD TO WAIT ON THE SHOULDER UNTIL THE RAIN STOPPED, TRIED CALLING ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE BUT THE RAIN EASED. THE REAR BUMPER OF THE VEHICLE GOT DAMAGED BECAUSE OF THE WIPERS FAILURE, HOWEVER THE SAFETY CONCERN COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE SUCH AS THE VEHICLE GETTING ME INTO MAJOR ACCIDENT WHERE MORE THAN ONE CAUSALITY COULD HAVE OCCURRED. OTHER THAN THAT, THE TIME WASTED DURING MY VACATIONS AND RESOURCES TO PUSH HOTEL STAYS IS MINIMAL YET TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR. BUT NOW THE DISTRESS OF THE INCIDENTS HAS LED TO MENTAL REPERCUSSIONS.

NHTSA ODI 11131123