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Mazda · NHTSA safety record

2021 Mazda MAZDA3

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

49

Complaints

2

Crashes

2

Fires

1

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2021 Mazda MAZDA3 have filed 49 safety complaints with NHTSA between February 2021 and January 2026. The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 18 of them (37%). The typical failure was reported at 1,700 miles, the median across the 3 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 1 recall covering this vehicle.

Recalls (1)

TIRES:VALVE

21V101000 · February 22, 2021

The defect
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2021 Mazda3 and CX-30 vehicles. Air may suddenly leak from the tire air valve.
The risk
A sudden air leak from the tire air valve may cause a loss of vehicle control while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace all four tire air valves with new parts, free of charge. The recall began April 6, 2021. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 4721B.

Mazda North American Operations · up to 599 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 49.

ENGINE 18 37%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 7 14%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 7 14%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6 12%
AIR BAGS 4 8%
SERVICE BRAKES 4 8%
LANE DEPARTURE 3 6%
POWER TRAIN 3 6%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 4%
STRUCTURE 2 4%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 4%
WHEELS 2 4%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2022 at 19.

2021 2022 2026
2021 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

The vehicle was badly rear ended and the airbags didn't deploy. The dashboard indicated an "airbag malfunction" after the collision happened. The failure of the airbags put myself and my passengers at serious risk; if we weren't wearing our seatbelts, which we were, we would have been gravely injured. The vehicle is less than a year old and still under warranty.

NHTSA complaint 11468801. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire · towed · 1,500 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 MAZDA MAZDA3. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STAND STILL AT A PARKING LOT, WHEN IT CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND FILED A REPORT. THE POLICE WAS AT THE LOCATION BUT DID NOT FILE A REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVABLE BUT WAS TOWED AT A TOW LOT. THE CONTACT CALLED LOCAL DEALER MORONG FALMOUTH MAZDA (187 US-1 #1311, FALMOUTH, ME 04105: (207) 781-4020) AND WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1,500.*DT*JB

NHTSA complaint 11403223. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire · towed · 2,509 miles

The contact owns a 2021 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds the passenger front side tire was flat which caused the contact to veer to the shoulder. The contact towed the vehicle to the dealer where the tire was inspected as the technician informed the contact that the tire was on backorder and no replacement tire was available. The vehicle then was towed back to the contact resident however was informed by the towing company that the vehicle abrupted in flames on the flatbed. The fire department was contacted and extinguished the flames. No police report was made. no injuries were sustained. The contact is awaiting approval from the insurance adjustor on

NHTSA complaint 11431973, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

crash · towed

During the incident, the vehicle exhibited an uncontrollable malfunction—the steering wheel suddenly jerked sharply to the right while accelerating violently, leaving me unable to steer or brake effectively, the car was looking forward. The car ultimately came to a stop upon colliding with a truck parked diagonally in front of me. After impact, I observed that the front tires remained stuck in a turned-right position, with the steering wheel also locked in that position. This was not an isolated event. Multiple reports from Mazda owners describe similar experiences with their vehicles unexpectedly veering to the right and accelerating without driver input. Given these recurring reports and

NHTSA complaint 11645615, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
My rear differential case cracked, anytime the four wheel drive system was engaged the entire drivetrain would lock up. Luckily we were only on side roads so going less than 30 mph if we had been on the highway when this happened we could have been in an accident or lost control. The dealer did confirm the problem and it was fixed under an extended warranty. There was no warning just all of a sudden a loud bang and all the wheels locked up. I have a copy of the video inspection done at the dealer if there's anyway to send that. I can get a copy of the repair invoice if needed

NHTSA complaint 11713224. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION
At 31,000 miles the control arm lower ball joints are torn on both lower. They must be replaced. This is a safety hazard. This should not be an issue with low mileage on this car.

NHTSA complaint 11695896. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
I was driving when all the sudden there was a loud bang sound. The differential housing cracked. The when awd is demanded the rear diff was was locking up instead of engaging. Luckily we were just on city streets and not on the highway as this rear wheel locking up could cause a crash. Mazda wasn't very helpful with the replacement. Luckily I had a aftermarket warranty but it only paid for a used replacement, which is also failing. I have read lots of stories of this rear differential failure across all types of Mazda's from this era and really wish they would do the correct thing and resolve the problem.

NHTSA complaint 11663288. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Spontaneous loss of power while driving on highway. Check engine light came on. Speed limited by car. Continues to vibrate especially at idle from cold start. Code P0304 intermittently popping up.

NHTSA complaint 11656416. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
The thermostat malfunctioned on this vehicle, resulting in the thermostat remaining open and providing excess coolant to the engine, which in turn damaged internal components of the engine (compromises safety), decreased fuel economy, increased emissions (compromised safety), and decreased the life of the engine within the vehicle. It is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle has been inspected by an independent mechanic and will be inspected by the Mazda dealership in 7 days. There were no prior warnings until the engine malfunction notice appeared, the vehicle began to make jolts and stuttering sounds, and the temperature gauge within the vehicle failed to rise to optimal

NHTSA complaint 11644041, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Mazda MAZDA3

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2024 12 3 —
2020 32 2 —
2019 74 6 —
2018 107 4 1
2017 83 2 —
2016 103 6 —
2015 130 4 —
2014 138 4 —
2013 117 1 —
2012 226 1 —
2011 132 2 —
2010 686 3 —

Other 2021 Mazda models

CX-5 143 CX-30 100 CX-9 37

Every Mazda on this site — 81 vehicles, 161 recall campaigns and 2 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst