What 107 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Mazda Mazda3

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

The collision warning light and lane assistance light come on frequently. It used to just be when the weather was under 40 degrees and the car was cold. However, it now happens all the time. It seems to go on and off for no reason. Additionally, the infotainment system keeps switching radio stations or ghosting without anyone touching it. It also drops Bluetooth connectivity constantly.

NHTSA ODI 11593200

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the parking brake light illuminated, and the vehicle decelerated and was losing motive power. The contact pressed the parking brake button off and on and the warning light stopped, and the contact was able to drive normally. Additionally, the contact stated that in other instances the forward sensing camera and the lane departure systems were also independently engaging. The contact stated that it was difficult to maintain the lane she was driving in. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred at various speeds. The contact drove the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and flashed the Powertrain Control Module (PCM). The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failures reoccurred and the battery short-circuited. The contact had taken the vehicle to a non-manufacturer dealer who used a handheld scanner and retrieved the following codes: C1001 Type 97, U3003, and B13D3. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 31,321. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11583064

I took my vehicle into RBMC dealership due to the vehicle was experiencing electrical issues and had an open recall / still does. The dealership said I can’t have a dash cam plugged in to a charging port. FCM / LDW / E-Break staying on / throwing error codes = C1001 FSC failure type 97 & U3003 EPB control module power supply failure type 16. They gave me back the car the battery failed the next day and when I called them they banned the VIN of this car to ever return to them. ( the battery was under factory warranty) the issue has only gotten worse and removed my dash cam as they demanded and now I can’t get the car fixed and the issue has gotten worse then taking the car to this dealership less then 30 days ago. They also did not perform the recall when the car was there. The car now has the fallowing codes B13D3 / C1001 / U3003 & possibly more codes because the whole dash is flashing auto light / fcm/ LDW and Break. My [XXX] grandma can’t even take the car in to get fixed the refuse to touch it after it had issues when they gave it back to us and it’s under a extended warranty and was a CPO and has a extended warranty through Mazda. Car only has 31k miles on it and is dangerous for her to drive and myself. Issue has been on going for over a month. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11582867