FaultScore report
Owners have filed 14 complaints about the 1994 Mazda 323 with NHTSA between 1995 and 2015. The largest single group is the seat belts.
14
Complaints
1
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
Click any bar to open that year's report.
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
1 crashes, 0 fires · median 108,450 mi
Median failure at 61,200 miles
Median failure at 61,200 miles
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
AUTO RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAIL
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.
Electrical
On certain vehicles, a defect in the ignition switch could cause an electrical short to develop over time. This could result in smoke and/or fire, increasing the risk of injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace the ignition switch.
Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT
WHILE IN AN SIDE COLLISION SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK UP TO PROTECT CONSUMER. A WEEK LATER CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL FOR FRONT SEAT BELTS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOTALED. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.
NHTSA complaint #838754 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
AIR BAGS
THE AIR BAG LIGHT IN THE DASH STARTED BLINKING A CODE (51) INDICATING FAILURE OF THE AIR BAG MODULE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE MAZDA DEALER. THEY RETURNED THE CAR TO ME WITH NO REPAIR. THEY INDICATED THAT MAZDA NO LONGER MAKES OR SUPPLIES THE AIR BAG MODULE. THEY RECOMMENDED FINDING A USED MODULE FROM A JUNK YARD DEALER. I CONTACTED MAZDA CORPORATION. THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING; BUY A USED AIR BAG MODULE FROM A JUNK YARD DEALER. I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND THE USED MODULES SELLING FOR ABOUT 10 TIMES THE PRICE THAT MAZDA CORP HAD SOLD THEM FOR. I ALSO FOUND ENTRIES FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD BEEN INJURED BY THE AIR BAGS. THERE WERE MULTIPLE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE MODULE NOT BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE AIR BAGS COULD KILL. I HAVE WRITTEN TO MAZDA CORP. TELLING THEM THAT I EXPECTED THEM TO REPLACE THE WHOLE SYSTEM. A SECRETARY CALLED ME--AND OFFERED TO DO NOTHING.
NHTSA complaint #10691210 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE AIR BAG LIGHT IN THE DASH STARTED BLINKING A CODE (51) INDICATING FAILURE OF THE AIR BAG MODULE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE MAZDA DEALER. THEY RETURNED THE CAR TO ME WITH NO REPAIR. THEY INDICATED THAT MAZDA NO LONGER MAKES OR SUPPLIES THE AIR BAG MODULE. THEY RECOMMENDED FINDING A USED MODULE FROM A JUNK YARD DEALER. I CONTACTED MAZDA CORPORATION. THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING; BUY A USED AIR BAG MODULE FROM A JUNK YARD DEALER. I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND THE USED MODULES SELLING FOR ABOUT 10 TIMES THE PRICE THAT MAZDA CORP HAD SOLD THEM FOR. I ALSO FOUND ENTRIES FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD BEEN INJURED BY THE AIR BAGS. THERE WERE MULTIPLE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE MODULE NOT BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE AIR BAGS COULD KILL. I HAVE WRITTEN TO MAZDA CORP. TELLING THEM THAT I EXPECTED THEM TO REPLACE THE WHOLE SYSTEM. A SECRETARY CALLED ME--AND OFFERED TO DO NOTHING.
NHTSA complaint #10691210 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
I WAS USING MY SEAT BELT AS WAS MY PASSENGER. I STOPPED TO GET OUT OF THE CAR AND WHEN I GOT BACK IN THE CAR AND STARTED IT, MY SEAT BELT WOULD NOT SLIDE BACK OVER MY BODY. MY PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT WAS STILL IN PLACE AS IT HAD NOT BEEN REMOVED WHEN I STOPPED THE CAR AND GOT OUT. THE FOLLOWING DAY MY SEAT BELT WORKED WHEN I FIRST STARTED THE CAR. WHEN I DROVE FOR ABOUT 3 MILES, I STOPPED THE CAR AND GOT OUT. WHEN I GOT BACK IN THE CAR AND STARTED IT, THE SEAT BELT DID NOT WORK AND HAS NOT SINCE IN THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS. THERE IS A CLICKING NOISE IN THE CENTER CONSOLE WHERE THE GEAR SHIFT IS WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED WHILE THE GEAR IS IN PARK AND STOPS MAKING THE NOISE WHEN THE CAR IS PUT INTO DRIVE, HOWEVER THE RED SEAT BELT LIGHT CONTINUES TO BLINK.
NHTSA complaint #10651769 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
MAZDA OF NORTH AMERICA OPERATIONS HAS NOTIFIED THE CONSUMER THAT THE VEHICLE DOES NOT COMPLY WITH US FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS-FMVSS208(OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION PASSIVE RESTRAINT REQUIREMENT) SCC
NHTSA complaint #10004113 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
HAD ONE BLOWOUT AT LOW SPEED AND ONE TIRE WITH TREAD SEPERATION. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/R75/15 )
NHTSA complaint #726498 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
THE FUEL USAGE DECREASED FROM 36MPG DOWN TO 24MPG; THE TRANSMISSION STARTED MAKING A CLICKING SOUND FROM TAKEOFF; AND THE SUSPENSION STARTED CLICKING WHEN TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT
NHTSA complaint #713580 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
THE FUEL USAGE DECREASED FROM 36MPG DOWN TO 24MPG; THE TRANSMISSION STARTED MAKING A CLICKING SOUND FROM TAKEOFF; AND THE SUSPENSION STARTED CLICKING WHEN TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT
NHTSA complaint #713580 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM
THE FUEL USAGE DECREASED FROM 36MPG DOWN TO 24MPG; THE TRANSMISSION STARTED MAKING A CLICKING SOUND FROM TAKEOFF; AND THE SUSPENSION STARTED CLICKING WHEN TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT
NHTSA complaint #713580 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
RAIL OF THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT ASSEMBLY GETS JAMMED IN THE RAIL, RENDERING THE SHOULDER BELT INOPERATIVE.
NHTSA complaint #844862 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
AFTER REPAIRS WERE MADE ON RECALL#97V211 THE RESTRAINTS NO LONGER RETRACT AUTOMATICALLY. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED.
NHTSA complaint #845882 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
SEAT BELT ON DRIVER'S SIDE WILL NOT RETRACT PROPERLY AND WILL SOMETIMES JAM AND TIGHTEN UP WHILE DRIVING
NHTSA complaint #709833 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT
WHILE IN AN SIDE COLLISION SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK UP TO PROTECT CONSUMER. A WEEK LATER CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL FOR FRONT SEAT BELTS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOTALED. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.
NHTSA complaint #838754 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
DRIVER'S SIDE PASSIVE SHOULDER BELT FAILED SEVERAL TIMES.
NHTSA complaint #528587 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:INTERIOR
REAR VIEW MIRROR IS TOO LOW FOR A TALL PERSON, IT BLOCKS THE RIGHT HAND VIEW. TT
NHTSA complaint #975607 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.