Your vehicle report

1992 Mazda MX3

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
44
Received Apr 1995 to May 2018
Official recalls listed
3
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
0
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Seat belt fails to latch or retract17 complaints · 39% of this vehicle’s complaints
  2. 2
    Coil springs break and puncture tires3 complaints · 6.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
  3. 3
    Engine suddenly shuts off while driving3 complaints · 6.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

Official NHTSA records

Recalls to check

  • Recall #15V674000Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat.
  • Recall #97V211000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with front seat automatic shoulder belts. The rail of the automatic shoulder belt can wear sufficiently such that the cable which retracts the buckle assembly can become jammed in the rail rendering the shoulder belt inoperative.
View recall details

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 identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 1 crash, 0 fires, 1 person 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.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 3 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

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Airbags, belts & seats

Steering, suspension & tires

Body, doors & glass

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

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.

Complaints received about the 1992 Mazda MX3
8
Show as a table
YearComplaints
19955
19962
19978
19987
19994
20001
20012
20023
20032
20042
20051
20061
20070
20081
20091
20101
20111
20120
20130
20140
20150
20161
20170
20181
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 (to Oct 2026)0
Total44

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.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Seat belt fails to latch or retract1739%–NHTSA recall #97V211000
Coil springs break and puncture tires36.8%–NHTSA recall #97V116000
Engine suddenly shuts off while driving36.8%–

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 #15V674000October 19, 20151,368,500 vehicles affected

    electrical system: ignition: switch

    Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat.

    If the ignition switch overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire.

    Remedy

    Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. The recall began on December 17, 2015. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Experience Center at 1-800-222-5500, option#6. Mazda's number for this recall is 8715J.

  • NHTSA recall #97V211000November 18, 1997134,000 vehicles affected

    seat belts: front: webbing

    Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with front seat automatic shoulder belts. The rail of the automatic shoulder belt Can wear sufficiently such that the cable which retracts the buckle assembly Can become jammed in the rail rendering the shoulder belt inoperative.

    A seat occupant may not be properly restrained in the event of a vehicle crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will replace the passive shoulder belt assembly with a modified one (with additional dust lip) in vehicles which have experienced a problem. In vehicles in which the automatic shoulder belt functions properly, the rails will be inspected and replaced with modified rails if they exceed the inspection criteria.

  • NHTSA recall #97V116000July 22, 199725,000 vehicles affected

    suspension: front: springs: coil springs

    Vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the following states: connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, nw hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and washington, dc. In areas where large quantities of road salt are used, corrosive pits Can develop on the surface of the front suspension coil spring. Repeated use Can eventually cause the coil spring to break and a tire could be punctured from contact with the broken coil spring.

    This condition increases the risk of a vehicle crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will install a guard assembly which will prevent the broken coil spring from contacting the tire. In addition to performing the recall campaign, Mazda is extending the warranty coverage on the front coil springs for the lift of the vehicle. If owners have already paid for the repair or replacement of these front coil springs, due to road salt damage, Mazda will reimburse these owners for reasonable expenses.

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 1992 Mazda MX3.

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