Your vehicle report
2011 Mazda MAZDA3
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 132
- Received Mar 2011 to Jul 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Seat belt fails to latch or retract9 complaints · 6.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off8 complaints · 6.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Tires blow out or tread separates8 complaints · 6.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #17V082000Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2011 Mazda2 and 2010-2011 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles equipped with a manual seat lifter. In the affected vehicles, the seat height adjustment lifter links may break or detach from the seat frame and the seat angle may incline causing the driver to not be able to maintain an appropriate driving position.
- Recall #16V644000Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles manufactured November 18, 2008, to June 8, 2013, 2012-2015 Mazda5 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2010, to June 22, 2015, 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 26, 2015, and 2013-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured December 15, 2011, to December 26, 2015. On the affected vehicles, the lift gate support struts may corrode, possibly causing the struts to break and/or the lift gate to drop unexpectedly.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 12 crashes, 2 fires, 13 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 14 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
- Seat belt fails to latch or retract
- Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off
- Airbags fail to deploy in crashes
1 more problem
Steering, suspension & tires
- Tires blow out or tread separates
- Power steering cuts out while driving
- Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 6 |
| 2012 | 7 |
| 2013 | 13 |
| 2014 | 11 |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2016 | 15 |
| 2017 | 21 |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2019 | 10 |
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 11 |
| 2022 | 9 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 2 |
| Total | 132 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 9 | 6.8% | – | |
| Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off | 8 | 6.1% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 8 | 6.1% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 7 | 5.3% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 7 | 5.3% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 7 | 5.3% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 6 | 4.5% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 6 | 4.5% | – | |
| Manual clutch wears out or fails early | 5 | 3.8% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 5 | 3.8% | – | |
| Dashboard melts, becomes sticky and glares | 4 | 3.0% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 4 | 3.0% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 4 | 3.0% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 4 | 3.0% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #17V082000February 9, 2017173,859 vehicles affected
seats
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2011 Mazda2 and 2010-2011 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles equipped with a manual seat lifter. In the affected vehicles, the seat height adjustment lifter links may break or detach from the seat frame and the seat angle may incline causing the driver to not be able to maintain an appropriate driving position.
If the driver cannot maintain an appropriate driving position, there is an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat lifter links and install a reinforcement bracket to the lifter links, or replace the entire seat adjuster unit, free of charge. The recall began April 7, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 0917B.
NHTSA recall #16V644000September 6, 2016580,455 vehicles affected
structure: body: hatchback/liftgate
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles manufactured November 18, 2008, to June 8, 2013, 2012-2015 Mazda5 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2010, to June 22, 2015, 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 26, 2015, and 2013-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured December 15, 2011, to December 26, 2015. On the affected vehicles, the lift gate support struts may corrode, possibly causing the struts to break and/or the lift gate to drop unexpectedly.
If the lift gate falls unexpectedly, it may hit the user, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy
Mazda dealers will replace the both lift gate supports, free of charge, however parts are not currently available. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9916H.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2011 Mazda MAZDA3.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN