Sure, the Mazda3 is a reliable vehicle, but we’ve rounded up some of the problems that are common to the ever-popular compact car.
Japanese automaker, Mazda has been in the business of making affordable passenger cars for quite some time. Some of its offerings, like the mid-size Mazda6 and the sportier MX-5 Miata, have garnered a lot of praise in the motoring community, largely due to their robust build and fairly reliable ownership experience.
However, our focus lies on the relatively affordable and compact Mazda3, available as a four-door sedan and a five-door hatchback. Introduced in 2004, the Mazda3 has established quite a foothold in the global market with more than 6 million units sold as of 2019. That said, Motor1 reports sales of Mazda’s compact offering have taken a hit even after the introduction of its latest generation.
Running its fourth iteration since 2019, the Mazda3 is still a very promising car to own, according to The Drive. There are several listings of Mazda3s that are very enticing from a value perspective.
However, when it comes to vehicle ownership (new or old), it’s good to do your bit of research when getting into one. The Mazda3, although not perfect, has had its fair share of problems, on which we shall shed more light in the following sections.
In essence, this discussion sums up the common problems and things to be aware of when buying a Mazda3. We’ll be going over the Mazda3’s general reliability and help narrow down your purchase decision with peace of mind taken into account.
Are Mazda3s Reliable?
It’s never all sunshine and rainbows with cars and the Mazda3 is no exception. Some of its earlier iterations, more specifically, the late first and early second gens were catastrophically unreliable, reports Repair Pal. For instance, the 2010 Mazda3 received a total of 631 complaints as per the NHTSA.
That said, things have improved rather well with Mazda now being the most reliable brand, overthrowing Toyota. Modern Mazdas are so reliable that owners are quite happy with the overall experience.
The Mazda3, in particular, has a pretty decent reliability score.
As per J.D. Power, the 2021 Mazda3 scores a rather commendable 78 out of 100. Although not the best in terms of reassurance, the Mazda3 is still one of the cheapest cars to run in its class.
According to Repair Pal, the average annual running cost of the Mazda3 is $433 as opposed to $562 for compact cars.
With decent reliability paired with substantially low ownership costs, the Mazda3 could end up being an excellent choice for someone looking for a new compact car.
To further support the claim, NHTSA reports that the 2021 Mazda3 has received fewer recalls and complaints as opposed to its 2020 counterpart. Indicating noticeable progress in quality and reliability.
Mazda3: Common Problems
If you rather wish to save a few bucks instead of buying an all-new Mazda3, looking for used ones is recommended. From the listings mentioned above, you could own a slightly old but fairly peppy Mazda3 for under $15,000. That’s a significant amount of money saved, however, there are certain things to keep note of.
In this video by Auto Trader Canada, if you’re in the market for a used Mazda3, it’s advised to go through the service records to get an idea of how the car has been used. While that’s applicable to any used car purchase, here are some of the common problems specific to the Mazda3.
Mazda 3: Valve Stem Corrosion and TPMS Warnings
According to the website Mazda Problems, the issues are pretty straightforward. The valve stem is prematurely corroding due to a possible manufacturing flaw. In the event of a failure, there is a possibility of an unexpected tire burst, which could be life-threatening.
As for the TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System), customers have complained that several warnings popped up quite often.
The website reports that because of the complexity in the TPMS used by Mazda (dTPMS), the chances of sensors, controllers, transmitters, or receivers failing are quite possible.
Since Mazda incorporates the dTPMS onto the valve stem, it could result in a catastrophic and very expensive repair should they fail. These issues have been reported 291 times on Mazda3s belonging to the second generation, more specifically, model years 2008-2010.
Mazda 3: Clutch Failure and Warranty Problems
This is fairly an issue of poor quality control and lack of acknowledgment. Mazda3s belonging to the second (2008-2013) and third generation (2014-2018) have been known to be affected. Mazda Problems reports that the company has installed an error-prone clutch system.
Upon diagnosis, the problem can be attributed to defective release levers (clutch forks), bearings, and pins. These defects could lead to premature wear on clutch disks, pressure plates, and flywheels, resulting in a clutch failure. Also, the issue happens quite early and has been reported in Mazda3s that’s barely crossed 25,000 miles.
Customers were infuriated when Mazda’s response was merely to get it repaired. It’s clearly a case of negligence as Mazda is fully aware of the failing clutch, however, opts to not issue a recall.
According to Car Complaints, the average repair cost for a clutch failure is around $1,200. A significant sum of money for a repair that’s essentially, not your fault.
As a result, many customers took to court and a class-action lawsuit was filed in April 2016. The lawsuit targets the 2010–2015 Mazda3 with either a five-speed or six-speed transmission.
As per the applicants, the lawsuit was very clear on emphasizing that the problem was in fact parts that are explicitly covered under Mazda’s warranty schemes. In March 2017, Mazda’s motion to dismiss was partially denied.
Mazda 3: Gear Grinding
According to Car Complaints, this is an issue particularly common in the 2012 Mazda3. The website has registered four complaints with them badging the issue pretty severe. As it turns out, when selecting a gear the internal gears would grind against each other. Pointing to possibly an improper/ damaged synchro.
According to them, it occurs at around 20,000 miles on average, however, an example that’s done 58,000 reported the problem as well. The majority of the complainants noticed the issue when going from third to fourth gear.
The grinding is apparently common to Mazda3s equipped with both manual and automatic transmission. Sadly, the cost to repair this is extremely high. At $4,800, as per Car Complaints, this is not a cheap fix.
However, one customer points out that if the service adviser could verify the issue repeating, the dealership would fix it under warranty.
Mazda 3: Interior Plastic Melting
Yes, Mazda3s at one point had a rather poorly built interior. According to Mazda Problems, several owners reported that dashboards of their Mazdas were in fact melting. This problem was seen in Mazda3 and Mazda6 manufactured between 2009 and 2013.
Customers residing in warmer states like Florida, Texas, and areas of California noticed the issue.
When parked or exposed to places that are hot and humid, the dashboard becomes extremely shiny and sticky. The stickiness is definitely not something you want in a car, nor is an extremely bright dashboard. The latter could potentially end up life-threatening as the glare could blind the driver.
A couple of owners decided to sue Mazda and filed a class-action in October 2014. One could say the effort was successful to a certain extent. Mazda, realizing the potential hazard, decided to offer an extended warranty. There is a catch though. The warranty does not cover any form of discoloration, warps, or cracks but merely covers the stickiness.
Also, the 10-year extended warranty was only available to select models. Mazda 6 from 2009 to 2013 was included but only the 2010 Mazda3 was made eligible. More specifically, Mazda 3s built between October 7, 2008, through April 28, 2010.
In conclusion, earlier Mazda3s weren’t the best in terms of reliability. In fact, a large portion of the problems we’ve mentioned is reserved for the earlier model years. If we consult this handy little graph by Car Complaints, it does give a broad insight on which Mazda3s to pick and avoid.
Also, scrounging through various classifieds backed by a bit of diligent research could may well result in a fairly cheap and trouble-free Mazda3 ownership.
Photos: Mazda
