2011 Mazda MAZDA3 problems

SEATS

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front driver’s side seat wobbled and was unsecured. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who determined that the front driver’s side seat lifter link was inoperable and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V082000 (SEATS). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. Additionally, the contact stated that the dashboard was melted and warped. The contact was concerned that the front air bags would not properly deploy due to the warped dashboard housing in the front driver and passenger side air bags. The failure mileage was 167,850.

NHTSA complaint #11750889 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front driver’s side seat wobbled and was unsecured. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who determined that the front driver’s side seat lifter link was inoperable and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V082000 (SEATS). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. Additionally, the contact stated that the dashboard was melted and warped. The contact was concerned that the front air bags would not properly deploy due to the warped dashboard housing in the front driver and passenger side air bags. The failure mileage was 167,850.

NHTSA complaint #11750889 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I was driving it and randomly the AT and TC , and check engine light came on and the car went into limp mode, after doing some research it appears to happen to all 2009-2011 Mazda3's and it's a safety hazard. It's a safety hazard because of when it's stuck in limp mode sometimes if your at a light or something it'll start shifting and if you're not holding the brake completely down it will make the car lurch forward like 2-3 feet more if you don't react fast enough. This is a serious problem as it can cause a wreck. And you never know when it's going to happen there will be no symptoms it will just go into limp mode sometimes it'll rapidly go in and out and I'm sure that's causing damage to my transmission. Please make Mazda recall the TCM part and replace it. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my complaint/safety issue. Have a good day or night!!!

NHTSA complaint #11701203 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The instrument panel above the information display in my 2011 Mazda3 has warped and created a visible gap, which is a known defect previously covered under Mazda’s Special Service Program A9 (SSP A9). While originally described as a cosmetic issue, in my vehicle the gap now allows engine odors and emissions to enter the passenger cabin. This condition presents a safety and health risk to occupants. My daughter drives the vehicle daily to college and is regularly exposed to these fumes. To confirm the problem, I used a Temtop M2000C Advanced Air Quality Monitor and recorded the following CO₂ levels inside the cabin compared to outside air: - Outside vehicle (baseline): 348 ppm - Inside after 1 minute: 436 ppm - Inside after 5 minutes: 1,027 ppm - Inside after 15 minutes: 1,645 ppm According to the monitor’s air quality guide, 1,501–2,500 ppm CO₂ is classified as “Unhealthy.” These readings indicate a measurable intrusion of emissions into the cabin. Mazda Customer Experience has acknowledged the vehicle is outside the SSP A9 warranty window and denied repair assistance, but I believe this issue is no longer cosmetic. The defect now creates a condition that may adversely affect occupant health and safety and should be considered under NHTSA’s authority for potential investigation. The vehicle can be inspected upon request. A Mazda dealer (Group 1 Mazda Denton, Texas) has provided a repair estimate of $1,307.77 for instrument panel replacement. Photos of the gap and air quality readings are available.

NHTSA complaint #11687666 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The car is jerking and check engine light is on. Also when you are stopped and press on the gar it takes a bit to get speed. The transmission control module needs to be replaced. There seems to be this issue on many mazda's just not sure why a recall hasn't been done for this case.

NHTSA complaint #11608963 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

Defective Driver's seat construction made by Mazda Mfg Corp. I was the first person to report this cheaply made driver's seat failure to Mazda Corp in Irvine, CA in early 2015 or 2016. Recall was finally issued a year afterwards because Mazda dragged their feet, and only after I threatened to sue them if I was ever in an accident, and the seat was to totally fall apart, and maim me for life did they finally take action. The Recall fix (cheap bandaid clamp that again failed because seat frame welds had failed as well) was never done right, and as a result the seat totally fell apart, and Ed Howard Lincoln Mazda of Sarasota, FL didn't want to do anything further at that point (cost out of pocket wise). I was told by a different Mazda Dealership in Ft Myers, FL that that defective seat should have been totally replaced if they would've handled it correctly. So Ed Howard Lincoln Mazda really screwed me on that one! As related to the 2.5L Mazda engine, I also had/have a engine failure part there as well. It's called the ENGINE COOLANT (WATER) OUTLET FLANGE, and the bottom left hand bolt (1 of 4 bolts total) that's suppose to hold this cheap plastic part in place was stripped (over-torqued) at the production assembly line time that the engine was made (put together). Now the cheap plastic replacement part is leaking again from the same lower left hand corner, and this is a well Known Ford & Mazda 2.5L engine failure design as stated in many a Mazda online forum! This also should have been recalled, as now my 2011 Mazda 3 is down again. Engine overheated again on Oct 13, 2023. Prior repair to replace this defective Flange was done in Feb or Mar of 2022. Cheap Plastic parts put on a Metal engine just don't work well at all. Common Physics would tell you that! I have documents in my storage unit if you need them.

NHTSA complaint #11567016 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Defective Driver's seat construction made by Mazda Mfg Corp. I was the first person to report this cheaply made driver's seat failure to Mazda Corp in Irvine, CA in early 2015 or 2016. Recall was finally issued a year afterwards because Mazda dragged their feet, and only after I threatened to sue them if I was ever in an accident, and the seat was to totally fall apart, and maim me for life did they finally take action. The Recall fix (cheap bandaid clamp that again failed because seat frame welds had failed as well) was never done right, and as a result the seat totally fell apart, and Ed Howard Lincoln Mazda of Sarasota, FL didn't want to do anything further at that point (cost out of pocket wise). I was told by a different Mazda Dealership in Ft Myers, FL that that defective seat should have been totally replaced if they would've handled it correctly. So Ed Howard Lincoln Mazda really screwed me on that one! As related to the 2.5L Mazda engine, I also had/have a engine failure part there as well. It's called the ENGINE COOLANT (WATER) OUTLET FLANGE, and the bottom left hand bolt (1 of 4 bolts total) that's suppose to hold this cheap plastic part in place was stripped (over-torqued) at the production assembly line time that the engine was made (put together). Now the cheap plastic replacement part is leaking again from the same lower left hand corner, and this is a well Known Ford & Mazda 2.5L engine failure design as stated in many a Mazda online forum! This also should have been recalled, as now my 2011 Mazda 3 is down again. Engine overheated again on Oct 13, 2023. Prior repair to replace this defective Flange was done in Feb or Mar of 2022. Cheap Plastic parts put on a Metal engine just don't work well at all. Common Physics would tell you that! I have documents in my storage unit if you need them.

NHTSA complaint #11567016 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

My seat lifter broke causing the driver's seat to rock back and forth. I brought my vehicle to my local dealer on 05/18/2022 to have an outstanding NHTSA recall 17V-082 performed to repair the issue. I was informed that the necessary part to repair the seat was on backorder and there was no ETA, but that I would be contacted when a part was available. Over the following nine months, I periodically followed up to see if they had received the part, culminating with being told by the dealer on 03/02/2023 that the part order was canceled and flagged as no longer available and that I needed to contact Mazda directly. I then called Mazda, who told me that the part was indeed marked as retired and advised that I seek an aftermarket replacement, of which none is available. They did check in my local area and found only one remaining part in a dealer's inventory, which I'll be driving to on 03/11/2023 to have the repair done. There has been no consideration made by Mazda for my safety while driving the vehicle, and for anyone still requiring this repair, the part is "retired" and no longer available from Mazda for an open recall.

NHTSA complaint #11509936 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the clutch became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA complaint #11498447 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel started to shake. The contact stated that the tire pressure warning light and check engine warning lights intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the suspension, seat connector, and an unknown software needed to be updated. The contact then stated that due to the suspension failure, the tires were worn prematurely. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

NHTSA complaint #11497383 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Transmission Control Module Failed while driving. Do to this there was a loss in ability to properly shift which made driving dangerous. There has been several online reports and accounts about this specific car signaling a check engine light coming on, AT light coming on and when other indirect or incorrect codes like Solenoid (A), (B), or (C). Luckily I did not crash therefore, I have no inspections have been necessary by police or insurance representatives. But I did have my local mechanic shop diagnose the problem. I noticed the car shifted a little weird but, no lights, warning, or messages came prior to failure. In the first couple of minutes prior to the first failure, was a simple check engine light which read a code for the Solenoid. Local shop diagnosed Transmission Control Module Failure and proceeded to "fix" the module. Second Failure was mid drive, AT light came on and a few minutes into my drive back home to park the car, it failed.

NHTSA complaint #11495977 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

The Baffle in my tank has broken loose for uncertain reasons. This seems to be a common problem with Mazda and has had a recall in the 2015 models even.

NHTSA complaint #11491777 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

UNKNOWN. Electric power steering just suddenly stopped working for no apparent reason. Very hard to steer. DANGEROUS!

NHTSA complaint #11485378 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The Dashboard is peeling above the display screen that shows information for Radio,CD, AUX, Time, Volume, Temp Outside, etc (black display screen with orange text/font). Above this display screen the dashboard is lifting up. Which has created about a 1 inch+ gap/spacing between the display and dashboard This gap has resulted in the following: 1). Inhaling of windshield fluid through AC vents (4 total on dashboard) -- when using windshield wipers to dispense windshield fluid to wipe windshield clean of dirt/debris. You can smell the funes from the windshield fluid. And windows are not open when using the windshield wipers. 2). The material used for the dashboard has peeled off and gone in between the gap. It has resulted in the AC vents dispensing the material when adjusting the open and close feature of the AC vent or making any direction adjustment of where I want the air conditioning to blow in the car. 3) The gap/spacing between dashboard and display screen has also resulted in the interior side of the windshield to have a buildup of smog on the windshield. It has resulted in issues seeing at night time when cars are driving towards me with their headlights on. When i wipe down, it will be covered again with smog/film in a few days.

NHTSA complaint #11471565 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

The Dashboard is peeling above the display screen that shows information for Radio,CD, AUX, Time, Volume, Temp Outside, etc (black display screen with orange text/font). Above this display screen the dashboard is lifting up. Which has created about a 1 inch+ gap/spacing between the display and dashboard This gap has resulted in the following: 1). Inhaling of windshield fluid through AC vents (4 total on dashboard) -- when using windshield wipers to dispense windshield fluid to wipe windshield clean of dirt/debris. You can smell the funes from the windshield fluid. And windows are not open when using the windshield wipers. 2). The material used for the dashboard has peeled off and gone in between the gap. It has resulted in the AC vents dispensing the material when adjusting the open and close feature of the AC vent or making any direction adjustment of where I want the air conditioning to blow in the car. 3) The gap/spacing between dashboard and display screen has also resulted in the interior side of the windshield to have a buildup of smog on the windshield. It has resulted in issues seeing at night time when cars are driving towards me with their headlights on. When i wipe down, it will be covered again with smog/film in a few days.

NHTSA complaint #11471565 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

AIR BAGS

When I’m driving the car, electricity of the car goes off, including headlights. The steering wheel gets locked. It doesn’t do that regularly. Sometimes, it takes weeks to do that, but sometimes it happens once in every five minutes. The red airbag light on the odometer turns on or off randomly. But, the worse case is that the airbags are not working while my steering wheel gets locked at the same time. They all start happening around the same time. I took my car to the Mazda Service and another mechanics. Neither of them found the issue. When I leave the car with them, the car doesn’t show these malfunctions. It literally randomly occurs. Therefore, they told me that I need to bring the car when it start happening in regular basis to understand the exact cause for the issue. I don’t know when it becomes a regular issue. 4-5 days ago, when I was turning right on a small street, the wheel locked again. I was about to crash. It’s a deadly malfunction, so I don’t want to wait until then.

NHTSA complaint #11460872 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

When I’m driving the car, electricity of the car goes off, including headlights. The steering wheel gets locked. It doesn’t do that regularly. Sometimes, it takes weeks to do that, but sometimes it happens once in every five minutes. The red airbag light on the odometer turns on or off randomly. But, the worse case is that the airbags are not working while my steering wheel gets locked at the same time. They all start happening around the same time. I took my car to the Mazda Service and another mechanics. Neither of them found the issue. When I leave the car with them, the car doesn’t show these malfunctions. It literally randomly occurs. Therefore, they told me that I need to bring the car when it start happening in regular basis to understand the exact cause for the issue. I don’t know when it becomes a regular issue. 4-5 days ago, when I was turning right on a small street, the wheel locked again. I was about to crash. It’s a deadly malfunction, so I don’t want to wait until then.

NHTSA complaint #11460872 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

When I’m driving the car, electricity of the car goes off, including headlights. The steering wheel gets locked. It doesn’t do that regularly. Sometimes, it takes weeks to do that, but sometimes it happens once in every five minutes. The red airbag light on the odometer turns on or off randomly. But, the worse case is that the airbags are not working while my steering wheel gets locked at the same time. They all start happening around the same time. I took my car to the Mazda Service and another mechanics. Neither of them found the issue. When I leave the car with them, the car doesn’t show these malfunctions. It literally randomly occurs. Therefore, they told me that I need to bring the car when it start happening in regular basis to understand the exact cause for the issue. I don’t know when it becomes a regular issue. 4-5 days ago, when I was turning right on a small street, the wheel locked again. I was about to crash. It’s a deadly malfunction, so I don’t want to wait until then.

NHTSA complaint #11460872 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V082000 (Seats) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted several times. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the front driver's seat was unsteady while driving and the failure had been recurring since 2017. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11458692 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Automatic transmission failure. It causes the vehicle to jar around and have misproper steering. For example improper acceleration causes inability to move in a fluid motion. Causes risks of someone rearending or hitting another vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11448109 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My Mazda 3 2011 dash is splitting and it was inspected by the Mazda dealership. It pulls a safety issue because the glue and sticky material that was coming from the dash is shining into my eyes every time I drive during daylight. I am afraid the airbags will be affected too because the dash is coming part that means air bags can be a malfunction also.

NHTSA complaint #11432979 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

my Mazda 3 2011 passenger headlight always had water coming into the headlight itself. It has condensation and it is hard to see when using the headlight itself at night. have to wait a few days or so to clear up and then my headlights will flicker because of the water seeping inside of it.

NHTSA complaint #11432980 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

my Mazda 3 2011 passenger headlight always had water coming into the headlight itself. It has condensation and it is hard to see when using the headlight itself at night. have to wait a few days or so to clear up and then my headlights will flicker because of the water seeping inside of it.

NHTSA complaint #11432980 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

The seat height adjustment lifter link has broken and my driver seat wobbles tilting up and down during normal operation. There is a recall for this exact issue for this exact model of vehicle 2011 Mazda 3.

NHTSA complaint #11421476 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.