15 of the
181 complaints about the 2011 Mazda MAZDA3 are about the
electrical system — 8% of everything
reported for this model year.
Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before
60,000 miles.
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.
Bala Cynwyd, PA
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.
Monterey Park, CA
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.
Victorville, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Transmission slips out and shift shock in first gear to second year. Over revving and bucking on the freeway. These are BAD transmissions
NHTSA complaint #11419819 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 126,043 milesWinsted, CT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ANTI THEFT SYSTEM ACTIVATED ON ME AFTER I SHUT OFF THE CAR. WAS SITTING IN A PARKING LOT WAITING FOR MY DAUGHTER TO GET OUT OF WORK. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND IT WOULDN'T START. MY MECHANIC SAID THE ANTI THEFT SYSTEM ACTIVATED WHICH SHOULDN'T OF HAPPENED.
NHTSA complaint #11397837 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 143,000 milesPhoenix, AZCrash
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHILE DRIVING A LOUD GUN LIKE SOUND HAPPENS. SOUND WILL NOT TURN OFF EVEN WITH THE VEHICLE OFF OR VOLUME TURNED DOWN. THIS ISSUE IS RELATED TO THE BOSE AMP FAILURE WHICH THE DEALERSHIP HAS REFUSED TO FIX FOR FREE OR DIAGNOSE FOR FREE. CONTACTED BOSE AND THEY HAVE CONFIRMED THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THEY NO LONGER HONOR AND REFERRED ME TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP WILL CHARGE $1300 JUST FOR THE AMP ALONE.
NHTSA complaint #11383565 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 160,000 milesSurprise, AZ
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHEN DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP . SUPER HARD TO PULL OVER. VERY DANGEROUS. COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THE POWER STEERING LIGHT AND ENGINE LIGHT COME UNILL I TURN VEHICLE OFF AND ON. I HAVE READ MANY POST ON LINE OF THIS HAPPENING TO THIS VEHICLE AND I'M SHOCKED THIS IS NOT A ACTIVE RECALL OR HAVEN'T CAUSED ANY DEATHS.
NHTSA complaint #11355694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 105,000 milesWeatherford, TXCrash
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
AIRBAGS: DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT OF A STREETLAMP POLE ON THE FRONT DRIVERSIDE QUARTER. FRONT FARRING DAMAGED AND REPLACED. I WAS TURNING LEFT, IT WAS RAINING, THE GLARE OF THE LIGHT BLINDED ME ENOUGH TO GO UP ON THE CURB AND IMPACT THE STREETLAMP POLE. I REPLACED THE FARRING AND HAD MY MAZDA3 FULLY ALIGNED. ELECTRICAL: PURCHASED VEHICLE IN OCTOBER 2016. REPLACED BATTERY 4 TIMES, ALTERNATOR 3 TIMES SINCE PURCHASE. SEAT HEATERS HAVEN'T WORKED EVER. DRIVERSIDE SEAT STARTED WIGGLING AFTER CONTACT WITH STREETLAMP POLE.
NHTSA complaint #11310455 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lansing, MIFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DURING SHORT DRIVE ON SURFACE ROADS (UNDER 45 MPH), ELECTRICAL SHORT CAUSED A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD AND MELTED PLASTIC CLIPS; FUSE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO PREVENT THIS DID NOT WORK.
NHTSA complaint #11207236 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Darien, CT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE FRONT LIGHTS SEEM TO BUILD CONDENSATION AND CUT DOWN ON THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT THAT IS EMITTED FROM THEM AT NIGHT, LEADING TO A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. IT ALSO AFFECTS THE TURN SIGNALS AND CAN LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC ELECTRONIC FAILURE THAT COSTS OVER $1,000 TO FIX THAT MAZDA CLAIMS IS NOT COVERED BY THEIR FACTORY WARRANTY. THIS HAS BECOME A HUGE PROBLEM AND ONE QUICK SEARCH ON THE INTERNET TURNS UP HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE, ISSUE A RECALL IN ORDER TO FIX THE AFFECTED UNITS AND FORCE MAZDA'S HAND TO LAY THE COST BURDEN ON THEM AND NOT THE CUSTOMER AS IT IS COMPLETELY ON THEIR MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES THAT DO NOT PROVIDE A PROPER SEAL AROUND THE LIGHTING THAT ALLOWS THIS TO OCCUR. DEALERSHIP SALESMEN ARE SCHOOLED TO TELL CUSTOMERS THAT IT WILL "BURN OFF" AS THE LIGHTS ARE ON LONGER AND ITS NOT ANYTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, WHEN REALLY IT CAN LEAD TO SOME SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE LEADING TO DANGEROUS SAFETY HAZARDS AT NIGHT.
NHTSA complaint #11052690 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 50,000 milesLithia, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
MY DASHBOARD HAS SEPERATED FROM MY CONTROL PANEL DUE TO HEAT IN FLORIDA EVEN THOUGH I USE SUN VISOR EACH DAY. ALSO I NOTICE THAT THE ELECTRONIS DOOR LOCKS FAIL TO WORK WHEN ATTEMPTING TO UNLOCK THE DOOR, AFTER TURNING THE KEU TO THE OPEN POSITION AND RETURNING THE KEY BACK TO THE START POSSITION THE CAR RE LOCKS ITSELF ABOUT 70% OF THE TIME
NHTSA complaint #11021086 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 60,000 milesBenbrook, TX
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
PASSENGER HEADLAMP GETTING EXCESSIVE CONDENSTATION BUILD UP AFTER CAR WASH OR RAIN STORM EVENTUALLY CAUSES HID BULB AND BALLAST FAILURE DUE TO SHORT CAUSED BY WATER INGRESS. HOUSING HAS BEEN CHANGED AND STILL LEAKS IN ALMOST EXACT SAME PATTERN AS OLD HOUSING. THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT AS IT AFFECTS MY ABILITY TO SAFELY, AND LEGALLY DRIVE MY CAR IN LOW OR NO LIGHT CONDITIONS AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #10914541 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 28,000 milesKaneohe, HIFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
EVIDENCE OF FIRE DAMAGE AROUND THE FIVE SPEED GEAR SHIFTING MECHANISM ONLY WITH RADIATED HEAT MELTING THE ADJOINING DRIVERS SEAT. NO OTHER INDICATIONS OF FIRE ANYWHERE ELSE AND THE FIRE EXTINGUISHED ITSELF DUE TO THE VEHICLES WINDOWS BEING ROLLED-UP WHICH CAUSED THE FIRE TO LACK OXYGEN WHICH IN TURN, CAUSED THE FIRE TO SMOLDER AT WHICH POINT THE OWNER APPROACHED THE CAR AS HE WAS GOING TO WORK AND OBSERVED AND REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO FIRE OFFICIALS. CAR HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE THAT TIME.
NHTSA complaint #10672012 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 1,100 milesBall Ground, GA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
MY MAZDA3 HAS, AND HAS ALWAYS HAD, TONS OF SPIDERS BUILDING NESTS AND WEBS. THIS OCCURS ACROSS MY MIRRORS(INSIDE AND OUTSIDE), SEATS, SEATBELTS, FRONT SPEED AND RPM GAUGES, WINDOWS, AND UNDER THE HOOD. USUALLY OCCURS AT NIGHT AND I FIND THEM IN THE MORNING. NEVER OF THE SAME SIZE OR TYPE, BUT IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE INSIDE THE CAR. THEY ARE NOT ONLY A DANGER TO ME, BUT TO ANY PASSENGER I MAY CARRY. I SAW THE MAZDA6 RECALL BECAUSE OF THE SPIDERS AND I THINK THE SAME THING IS OCCURRING HERE. PLEASE CHECK THIS OUT!
NHTSA complaint #10604452 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 12,000 milesTigard, OR
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE BATTERY APPEARS TO BE DEAD. AFTER JUMP START, THE CAR WORKS FOR ABOUT 3 DAYS. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START IF LEFT TO SIT OVER NIGHT WITHOUT DRIVING. THE BATTERY WILL NOT POWER THE VEHICLE AND WILL NOT ALLOW FUEL TO EXCHANGE FOR A PUSH START (MANUAL 5 SPEED). THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO BEAVERTON MAZDA DEALERSHIP IN BEAVERTON OREGON. THEY TESTED FOR ELECTRICAL LEAKS AND FOUND NONE. DID NOT REPLACE BATTERY. DEALERSHIP GAVE BATTERY A SLOW CHARGE OVERNIGHT. THE BATTERY WAS TESTED AND THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED BATTERY WAS IN LIKE NEW CONDITION. THE CAR DIES 6 DAYS LATER AFTER NOT BEING DRIVEN FOR 1 DAY. TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND MORE TESTS ARE DONE, WAS CHARGED FOR AN INSPECTION BILL THAT SAYS NOTHING IS WRONG. ALMOST 1 YEAR LATER, CAR NOT DRIVEN FOR 1 DAY AND BATTERY IS DEAD. SEEMS TO LEAK ELECTRICITY SOMEWHERE THAT CANNOT BE FOUND.
NHTSA complaint #10551224 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.