FaultScore

Worst years for a Mazda MAZDA3

Owners have filed 4,006 complaints about the Mazda MAZDA3 with NHTSA across model years 2004 to 2026. More of them are about the steering than anything else.

Avoid

2008 Mazda MAZDA3

387 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly steering.

Cleanest on record

2020 Mazda MAZDA3

51 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Mazda MAZDA3 year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2026 1 0 0 Steering
2025 8 2 0 Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
2024 C 23 6 0 Electrical System
2023 C 20 8 5 Transmission & Drivetrain
2022 B 34 2 0 Airbags
2021 B 66 4 2 Engine & Cooling
2020 B 51 0 0 5,500 Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
2019 C 118 7 0 5,000 Brakes
2018 C 139 9 0 22,092 Electrical System
2017 C 105 11 0 28,692 Other & Unspecified
2016 C 137 12 2 36,112 Electrical System
2015 D 154 13 3 26,000 Brakes
2014 D 181 16 1 30,198 Brakes
2013 C 176 7 2 41,000 Lights
2012 D 328 12 1 37,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2011 D 181 18 2 45,202 Airbags
2010 D 920 26 6 59,712 Body & Structure
2009 C 140 13 1 36,105 Steering
2008 F 387 41 1 45,350 Steering
2007 D 301 36 5 77,000 Steering
2006 D 224 29 4 71,290 Engine & Cooling
2005 C 127 25 3 67,295 Airbags
2004 D 185 25 4 55,650 Brakes

What breaks on a Mazda MAZDA3

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Steering 399 10.0%

Worst in 2008

Worst in 2010

Worst in 2010

Engine & Cooling 301 7.5%

Worst in 2012

Brakes 288 7.2%

Worst in 2010

Body & Structure 283 7.1%

Worst in 2010

Airbags 269 6.7%

Worst in 2007

Worst in 2010

Worst in 2010

Seats 175 4.4%

Worst in 2010

Tires 170 4.2%

Worst in 2010

Lights 163 4.1%

Worst in 2013

Wheels 148 3.7%

Worst in 2010

Worst in 2014

Exactly what failed on a Mazda MAZDA3

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Body 129 40.4%
Pressure Monitoring AND Regulating Systems 43 13.5%
Automatic Emergency Braking 31 9.7%
Automatic Transmission 22 6.9%
Engine 18 5.6%
Warnings 17 5.3%
Frontal 17 5.3%
Manual Transmission 16 5.0%
Electric Power Assist System 13 4.1%
Rear 13 4.1%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Mazda MAZDA3, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Apr 2004 peak 72 Aug 2026

Mazda MAZDA3 problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Mazda MAZDA3

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.