Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 52 safety complaints
about the 2021 Mazda MAZDA3 with the US government. Of those, 2 describe a crash, 2 mention a fire, 1 person was injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the tires.
The most complained-about system is the engine,
named in 19 complaints, 37% of the total.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers February 2021 to September 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
52 complaints on file
52
Complaints
2
Describe a crash
2
Mention fire
1
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free.
Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can
answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a
model year.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 19 · 37%
19 37%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 7 · 13%
7 13%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 7 · 13%
7 13%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6 · 12%
6 12%
SERVICE BRAKES 5 · 10%
5 10%
AIR BAGS 4 · 8%
4 8%
POWER TRAIN 4 · 8%
4 8%
LANE DEPARTURE 3 · 6%
3 6%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 · 4%
2 4%
STRUCTURE 2 · 4%
2 4%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 · 4%
2 4%
WHEELS 2 · 4%
2 4%
0815
Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 52.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2022 at 19.
20 15 10 5
212021222022232023242024252025262026
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2021 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2021 Mazda MAZDA3, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
4 DR AWD
4 DR FWD
5 HB AWD
5 HB FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover
10.1%
10.1%
10.1%
10.1%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed.
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
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
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
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.
SERVICE BRAKES
Car made grinding sound with notable vibration when starting to move after shifting into drive. Felt like brakes weren't releasing. Had car towed to dealership where they diagnosed that the front left brake shim was damaged and making contact with the rotor, had to pay to fix it out of pocket.
NHTSA complaint 11767607. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
Low engine oil message appeared on dash. Had car towed to Mazda. Had valve stem seals replaced under warranty.
NHTSA complaint 11767608. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
Making sharp right turn out of parking lot under hard acceleration, car suddenly made terrible grinding sound that shook the whole car. Continued driving, within another quarter mile the whole car started shaking again with loud noise. Had car towed to Mazda where they discovered that the rear differential had failed. Rear differential replaced under warranty. Noticed faint high pitched sound coming from rear in months leading up to incident. Had differential and transfer case fluid changed less than 1000 miles and 1 month before incident making me wonder if fluid was underfilled/wrong fluid used or the diff was just bad.
NHTSA complaint 11767611. 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.
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. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, newest campaign on this vehicle filed February 22, 2021.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
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.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst