Your vehicle report
2012 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
- 226
- Received Aug 2011 to Dec 2025
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Headlights dim or fail at night26 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips23 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Seat belt fails to latch or retract14 complaints · 6.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- 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.
- Fuel tank or line leaks gasolineFirst signal: Aug 2020
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 9 crashes, 1 fire, 5 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 18 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Tires blow out or tread separates
- Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps
- Power steering cuts out while driving
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 | 2 |
| 2012 | 16 |
| 2013 | 20 |
| 2014 | 30 |
| 2015 | 15 |
| 2016 | 11 |
| 2017 | 30 |
| 2018 | 18 |
| 2019 | 22 |
| 2020 | 13 |
| 2021 | 17 |
| 2022 | 9 |
| 2023 | 10 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 7 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 226 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 26 | 12% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 23 | 10% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 14 | 6.2% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 11 | 4.9% | 35.1× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Aug 2020 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.4% |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 9 | 4.0% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 8 | 3.5% | – | |
| Dashboard melts, becomes sticky and glares | 7 | 3.1% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 7 | 3.1% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 7 | 3.1% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 6 | 2.6% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 5 | 2.2% | – | |
| Manual clutch wears out or fails early | 5 | 2.2% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 5 | 2.2% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Brake lights fail or stay on | 3 | 1.3% | – |
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 #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 2012 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