27 of the
154 complaints filed about the Mazda CX-3
are about the electrical system —
18% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2016.
The instrument cluster in my 2021 Mazda CX-3 failed at approximately 50,000 miles. While driving, the vehicle displayed multiple warning lights, including Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Smart City Brake Support (SCBS), traction control, and front camera/safety system warnings. These safety systems became unavailable due to the instrument cluster failure. An authorized Mazda dealership inspected the vehicle and attempted to reprogram (re-image) the instrument cluster, but the repair was unsuccessful. The dealership confirmed that the instrument cluster had failed internally and must be replaced. The failed component is available for inspection. Mazda Customer Experience has confirmed that the replacement instrument cluster is on national back-order and has been unable to provide any estimated availability date. As a result, I am required to continue driving a vehicle with disabled safety systems or leave the vehicle unusable for an indefinite period. I am concerned that a failed instrument cluster can disable important safety systems, including stability control and forward collision mitigation functions, and that replacement parts are unavailable. I am submitting this complaint because this appears to be a potential safety-related defect
NHTSA complaint #11752506 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
So the sport mode on cx3 have not bracket under the sport mode and if try to activeit the sport mode whole switch goes down you cant active with grabbing it will fall out of socket
NHTSA complaint #11631126 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
A recall notice dated July 14, 2023 stated improper design of rearview camera wiring harness fastener. The fastener may become damaged from vibrations during normal vehicle use and/or while closing the lift gate. I have been told by the dealership that they do not have the parts to remedy the issue and don't know when they will have the parts. It appears that the manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy this safety recall in a timely manner since more than a year has passed since the recall notice was issued and they are unable to predict when the parts will be available. Recall Status: "Recall Incomplete, remedy not yet available" Manufacturer Recall Number: 6023G. NHTSA Recall Number: 23V-487.
NHTSA complaint #11605215 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Rear view camera and speedometer How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Rear view camera restarts and flickers so seeing behind while in reverse is dangerous. The electrical component issues have bled over to the digital speedometer, making it difficult to see the speed at which you are driving. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Unknown Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Unknown Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No
NHTSA complaint #11589104 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Mazda CX-3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and was unable to accelerate above 20 MPH. The low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the electrical wiring harness, finding that the harness appeared to suffer from normal wear and tear. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 132,000.
NHTSA complaint #11584043 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My Mazda CX3’s touchscreen started registering “ghost presses” without any input from me. This leads to the car scrolling through contacts and placing calls while driving. This almost caused an accident as I was scrambling to avoid the embarrassment of randomly dialing someone multiple times. Many others have also experienced the same issue with their Mazda infotainment systems. This should be a recall as the sudden distraction and panic caused by this poses a serious safety risk.
NHTSA complaint #11561796 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mazda CX3 Connect touch screen in the center display may not accept touch commands properly and faded. The film inside the touch screen may be corroded due to moisture
NHTSA complaint #11547818 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Mazda CX-3. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, while making a lane adjustment to the left, the automated lane departure system overcorrected the steering to the right. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent however, the failure had begun to occur at slower speeds. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering shaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 29,056.
NHTSA complaint #11508623 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Mazda CX-3. The contact stated that while her daughter's vehicle was in reverse(R), the vehicle failed to stop upon the depression of the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that her daughter engaged the parking brake; however, the vehicle continued to roll back until the vehicle hit a curb and stopped. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who noted that the failure was not brake related but was a computer malfunction. The contact called a dealer who referred her to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
NHTSA complaint #11506483 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Infotainment system and screen failure. The screen develops "spiderweb" cracking. This cracking first appeared 3 years ago. Now the computer reboots continuously. This causes zero access to radio, GPS, or other features to operate the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, at the suggestion of Mazda USA. For a "diagnostic" fee of $180 I was told what I already knew. The system is broken. This is a rampant problem with multiple complaints online regarding Mazda Infotainment systems. They expect consumers to pay $2,800 to repair the system.
NHTSA complaint #11456732 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have had this happen multiple times. I try to turn off the car and it will not shut off. It makes noises and beeps, but you can do nothing to turn off the car. This makes the battery die. The first time I freaked out and called Mazda headquarters. They got a tow truck sent to me and my car was taken to Brown's Mazda in Fairfax. They told me the battery was dead and that is why that happened. I have had my battery checked by them numerous times and they say it is A-OK and 100% okay, so how can this be. It happened again and I drove straight to the dealer who told me it wasn't the battery but the starting system. They fixed it and I left and 20 minutes later it happened again. It has now happened again. One day my car is fine and the next it does not start. Then, after trying to start it again today. It went crazy and would not shut off. I was at the dealership recently and another woman had this problem. They told her it was the shifting gear and she had to pay a fair amount. This is ridiculous. This is a Mazda problem not an owner problem. No one seems to know what the real issue is or are afraid to tell. This needs to be looked into. The problem is Mazda owners never know when and where this will happen and it could strand us in bad locations with no recourse. There are no warning lights or messages and it happens at random times. It first started two years ago and has been happening repeatedly. The problem has been relayed to Browns Mazda on several occasions and they tell me it is the battery, but every time I get the battery checked it is perfect. Something is wrong and it is probably due to the electrical starting system which also affects the charging terminals. This is a serious issue and someone needs to take a look into this matter. Please help!
NHTSA complaint #11439428 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The media console screen on my Mazda CX-3 has spiderweb-like cracking. This causes "ghost touch" which means that while I am driving, the system makes consistent loud beeping noises, frantically changes screens, changes music, calls people (if my phone is connected to bluetooth), etc.. There is no way to turn this off and it is incredibly distracting and startling while I am on the road. I know that this same issue has occurred in other Mazda vehicles (like the Mazda3) and the part has been recalled/been covered for replacement under an extended warranty. My local Mazda dealership diagnosed this issue and acknowledged that it is a problem that this is not covered under warranty to fix. They gave me a $2,000 quote to replace the screen (this is money I do not have and believe I should not have to pay to ensure my safety).
NHTSA complaint #11432537 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Mazda CX3. The contact stated while turning off the vehicle, the engine did shut-off however, the interior electrical components of the vehicle such as the radio and the doors would not automatically lock intermittently. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who inspected the vehicle and could not duplicate the failure. The key fob battery was replaced to fix the issue however, the failure recurred with the push to start not operating as designed. The contact was concerned about a possible manufacturer network failure with the push to start function, key fob, or the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
NHTSA complaint #11430127 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Mazda CX3. The contact stated while turning off the vehicle, the engine did shut-off however, the interior electrical components of the vehicle such as the radio and the doors would not automatically lock intermittently. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who inspected the vehicle and could not duplicate the failure. The key fob battery was replaced to fix the issue however, the failure recurred with the push to start not operating as designed. The contact was concerned about a possible manufacturer network failure with the push to start function, key fob, or the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
NHTSA complaint #11430127 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 MAZDA CX-3. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 52 MPH, THE BLIND SPOT DETECTION WARNING INDICATOR WAS NOT WORKING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO OLYMPIA MAZDA (2201 CARRIAGE SOUTHWEST OLYMPIA, WA 98502) WHERE THE FAILURE WAS DIAGNOSED AS A BLIND SPOT MONITORING SYSTEM FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATIONS NUMBER: TSB:15-004-18-3539. THE CONTACT WAS UPSET THAT THE TSB WAS NOT A RECALL. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,440.
NHTSA complaint #11397728 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MAZDA CX3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EVAPORATOR FOR THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS BLOWING WARM AIR INTO THE CAB OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BELLAMY STRICKLAND CHEVROLET BUICK PARTS (145 INDUSTRIAL BLVD, MCDONOUGH, GA 30253 770-30253). THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AND A PRESSURE TEST FOUND A LEAK IN THE EVAPORATOR. A TSB WAS FOUND WHICH WOULD COVER THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO HENNESSY MAZDA (7261 JONESBORO RD BUILDING 2, MORROW, GA 30260 844-237-2079). THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TSB EXPIRED AND WOULD NO LONGER COVER THE VEHICLE UNDER A WARRANTY REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DECLINED TO OFFER A FREE REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,700.
NHTSA complaint #11320657 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ENTIRE DASH LIGHTS GO DARK. THIS IS THE THIRD EPISODE I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER TWICE BEFORE WITH SAME COMPLAINT. I CONTACTED MAZDA IN DECEMBER 2018 & WAS GIVEN REFERENCE NUMBER OF 1-1911536225. INCIDENT HAPPENED AGAIN TODAY WHEN DRIVING UNDER OVERPASS ON HIGHWAY
NHTSA complaint #11316059 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I PURCHASED MY 2019 CX 3 NOVEMBER 2018. APRIL 17 2019 WITH 1840 MILES I NEEDED A NEW BATTERY. I WAS TOLD I DIDN'T DRIVE THE CARE ENOUGH! I DRIVE MY CAR EVERY DAY BUT IT IS LOCAL DRIVING. FEBRUARY 25 2020 MY CAR WAS SERVICED AT 5000 MILES INCLUDING OIL CHANGE AND ENGINE CHECK. PAPERWORK SHOWED BATTERY AT 100%. MARCH 2 2020 ANOTHER NEW BATTERY WAS INSTALLED. I WAS TOLD IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE "COLD" (70 DEGREES) WEATHER! I DO NOT LEAVE A/C OR RADIO RUNNING WHEN I EXIT THE CAR. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH MY CAR OR SOME OTHER UNDERLYING PROBLEM. WILL I HAVE TO REPLACE THE BATTERY ANNUALLY??? BOTH INSTANCES OCCURRED WHEN I TURNED THE CAR ON AND ALL LIGHTS FLASHED, CAR DID NOT WANT TO GO. TURNED IT OFF, RESTARTED, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THANK YOU
NHTSA complaint #11315769 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.