CSR

Mazda · NHTSA safety record

2024 Mazda MAZDA3

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

Owners have filed 12 safety complaints about the 2024 Mazda MAZDA3 with the US government. Of those, 2 describe a crash, 1 person was injured and no death is recorded. 3 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 5 complaints, 42% of the total.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers February 2024 to August 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

12 complaints on file

12

Complaints

2

Describe a crash

0

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
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5 · 42%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 · 33%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2 · 17%
LANE DEPARTURE 2 · 17%
STRUCTURE 2 · 17%
AIR BAGS 1 · 8%
POWER TRAIN 1 · 8%
SERVICE BRAKES 1 · 8%
TIRES 1 · 8%
VISIBILITY 1 · 8%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 · 8%
0 4 8

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 12.

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 2024 at 7.

8 6 4 2
24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2024 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 2024 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.

Recall campaigns

3 on file

AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE

25V357000 · May 29, 2025

The defect
Mazda North American Operations is recalling certain 2024-2025 Mazda3 and CX30 vehicles. The Sophisticated Air Bag Sensor (SAS) units may set an error code and deactivate the air bags, due to a low battery condition.
The risk
Air bags that do not deploy in the event of a crash increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will reprogram the SAS unit with improved software or replace the unit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2025. Mazda's number for this recall is 7525E.

Mazda North American Operations · up to 171,412 vehicles across all model years covered

LANE DEPARTURE: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

24V649000 · September 3, 2024

The defect
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2024 Mazda 3, CX-30, and 2025 CX-50 vehicles. A malfunction in the forward sensing camera (FSC) may prevent the automatic emergency braking system and the lane-keep assist system from functioning. In addition, the headlights will not automatically adjust from high beams to low beams as intended.
The risk
Automatic braking, steering assist, and headlight control systems that do not function as intended can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the forward sensing camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2024. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 6824H.

Mazda North American Operations · up to 672 vehicles across all model years covered

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

23V718000 · October 26, 2023

The defect
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2024 CX-90 and MAZDA3 vehicles. Due to a software error, the rearview, front, and/or side camera images may not appear on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The risk
A camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
The remedy
Dealers will update the view monitor control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 20, 2023. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 6223J.

Mazda North American Operations · up to 11,903 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.

STRUCTURE:BODY

1 injured · crash

On July 1, 2025, I was involved in a severe rear-end collision while driving my 2024 Mazda3 manual hatchback. The impact was forceful enough to shatter the rear windshield, leave a deep dent in the tailgate, and bend the trailer hitch mount under the vehicle by several inches. Despite this, none of the airbags deployed, and there were no airbag warning lights before or after the crash. After the incident, I checked my vehicle’s VIN on NHTSA’s recall lookup tool and discovered that Recall 7525E had been issued on June 6, 2025, for a critical airbag sensing system defect (SAS module), which can disable airbag deployment after battery depletion or improper power conditions. According to Mazda

NHTSA complaint 11672644, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

LANE DEPARTURE: LANE KEEP: STEERING ASSIST

crash · 1,900 miles

The contact leased a 2024 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while driving at 55–60 mph, the windshield wipers continued to stay in the on position and failed to turn off. The parking brake engaged without application and turned on and off. All the electrical systems malfunctioned and failed to turn off. The lane assist engaged and forced the vehicle to crash into the side wall. All the instrument cluster warning lights were illuminated. There were no reported injuries. There was no police report filed. There was no air bag deployment or fire. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where the mechanic reset the codes. The mechanic informed the contact that the malfunction may continue

NHTSA complaint 11569891, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I was denied work on a network issue recall 3 separate times at the dealership I bought the car. The first time I was told it was because of a smell. If I clean the car, they will fix it. I noticed after they were in the car my backup camera didn’t work which I also thought might be a recall but found out it wasnt. I went ahead and cleaned it twice. I came back they alleged it smelled like cat litter and urine. I asked to speak to someone else because there was nothing in my car and I know it didn’t. There were also no stains, mold, anything like that. It smelled of cleaning products. But I took it home and scrubbed extensively even though I was confused by the comment. When I went there it

NHTSA complaint 11755539, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving on the highway (50mph), the sunroof had shattered unexpectedly. The sunroof itself was not open, but the visor was open so the glass fell into the car, onto the driver, the passenger and into the backseats. The glass shattering sounded like a gunshot which startled us while on the highway, and the broken glass cut the driver.

NHTSA complaint 11751469. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
left-most lane of a three-lane highway, I pressed the accelerator to maintain the flow of traffic. The vehicle suddenly began revving between 4,000–5,000 RPM without increasing speed. When I attempted to accelerate again, the RPM remained around 3,000, and I immediately received multiple warning messages on the dashboard, including: “Skyactiv Partially Disabled” warning Engine Malfunction warning ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) warning light Simultaneously, the vehicle rapidly decelerated from 65 MPH to approximately 55 MPH, creating an extremely hazardous situation and nearly resulting in a collision. I had to carefully maneuver across lanes to reach the shoulder. After shutting the

NHTSA complaint 11718990, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
Car gives me emergency brake warnings about imminent collision maybe once or twice a week with nothing in front of me what so ever and once even straight up just brought me to a complete halt in the middle of the road with absolutely nothing in the road. The dealership basically told me it was a known issue and that “some models are more sensitive than others” and that they will be doing nothing about it. Different models of Mazda 3s from the same year are currently being investigated for the same recalls. This definitely needs to be addressed before I get into an accident.

NHTSA complaint 11676800. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
FRONT AND REAR WINDSHIELDS GET EXCESSIVE CONDENSATION ON THE INSIDE OF WINDOWS OBSTRUCTIING VISIBILITY. CAR TAKEN TO DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE SAME SITUATION. THIS PUTS OTHERS AT RISK BECAUSE THE DEFROSTER DOES NOT WORK WELL WHEN THERE IS HEAVY CONDENSATION ON THE INSIDE OF THE WINDOWS. THIS ISSUE HAS OCCURED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE PURCHASE IN 2024.

NHTSA complaint 11631734. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Mazda MAZDA3

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 8 1 —
2021 52 1 —
2020 32 2 —
2019 74 6 —
2018 108 4 1
2017 83 2 —
2016 104 6 —
2015 130 4 —
2014 138 4 —
2013 117 1 —
2012 226 1 —
2011 132 2 —
2010 686 3 —

Other 2024 Mazda models

Every Mazda on this site — 82 vehicles.

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.

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