U.S. public vehicle records

2009 Mazda MAZDA3 problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

115 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

33,681 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2009 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 97 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Steering is the most frequently named component, appearing in 34 of 115 complaints (29.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	37	32.2%
Braking behavior	16	13.9%
Transmission and shifting	4	3.5%
Engine operation	3	2.6%
Electrical and battery issues	1	0.9%
Fuel system concerns	1	0.9%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Steering

Wheels

Tires

Tires:Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems

Electrical System

Exterior Lighting

Air Bags

Electronic Stability Control (Esc)

Steering: 34; Wheels: 19; Tires: 13; Tires:Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems: 10; Electrical System: 5; Exterior Lighting: 5; Air Bags: 4; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 4

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 40; 25,000 to 49,999: 29; 50,000 to 74,999: 13; 75,000 to 99,999: 11; 100,000 to 149,999: 4; 150,000 and above: 0

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (40). 18 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2025

2009: 10; 2010: 34; 2011: 12; 2012: 13; 2013: 14; 2014: 8; 2015: 5; 2016: 5; 2017: 2; 2018: 1; 2019: 2; 2020: 1; 2021: 3; 2022: 1; 2023: 2; 2025: 2

Pattern summary

Steering leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 37 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 16 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 4 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10275422 · 2009-07-01 (July 1, 2009)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MAZDA 3. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY STIFF AND DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. WHILE WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK, THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE STEERING BEGAN TO PERFORM CORRECTLY WITHOUT ANY FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE COMPANY THAT MANUFACTURED THE PART WA…

Owner-reported narrative. 22,240 miles reported. Look up ODI 10275422 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10310347 · 2010-02-14 (February 14, 2010)

SEVERE STEERING SHAKE WHEN BRAKING AT HIGH SPEEDS. WAS TOLD BY DEALERSHIP THAT IT IS NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE IS ONLY 14 MOS. OLD WITH 18,000 MILES. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 18,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10310347 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10273580 · 2009-06-11 (June 11, 2009)

CAR IS A 2009 MAZDA SPEED3, ONE MONTH OLD. I SET THE BRAKE OF THE CAR AND IT ONLY WENT UP 2 CLICKS. THE CAR ROLLED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY WITH NOBODY IN THE CAR AND HIT A TREE. EMERGENCY BRAKE HARD TO PULL UP TO SET PROPERLY. I DID A TEST ON A STEEP SLOPE, AND THE EBRAKE DID NOT HOLD. A HARD YANK WITH TWO HANDS MADE THE BRAKE HOLD, AND NOW THE BRAKE WILL GO UP 5 CLICKS WITH EASE AND HOLDS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 1,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10273580 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10295096 · 2009-12-09 (December 9, 2009)

GOODYEAR TIRE EAGLE RS TIRE IN LIGHT SNOW / WET WEATHER CONDITIONS, NEW 2009 MAZDA 3 HATCHBACK. TIRES ARE TOTALLY INADEQUATE IN LIGHT SNOW CONDITIONS. I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN WHILE I ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN AT 20MPH. CAR ABS WAS ACTIVATED BUT I STILL SKIDDED ALMOST HITTING ANOTHER CAR AS IT WAS ABOUT TO PULL OUT IN FRONT OF ME. I AM FORCED TO HAVE TO REPLACE THESE TIRES. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10295096 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10322413 · 2010-03-26 (March 26, 2010)

MY 2009 MAZDA 3 HAS EXPERIENCED OVER HEATING OF THE TRANSAXLE (TRANSMISSION) WHEN OPERATING IN OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES OF 100 DEGREES AND OVER. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER AND TALKED TO MAZDA CORP. AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THEIR ONLY ADVICE IS TO PULL OVER AND LET THE TRANSMISSION COOL DOWN. THIS HAS BECOME A SAFETY PROBLEM DUE TO HAVING TO PULL OVER IN SOME LESS THAN SAFE AREAS.

Owner-reported narrative. 19,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10322413 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10343979 · 2010-07-19 (July 19, 2010)

(2009 MAZDA 3I TOURING VALUE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) THE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 94 DEGREES OUTSIDE, I WAS DRIVING ON A SIDESTREET, GOING NO MORE THAN 25 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL GOT HARDER TO TURN & THEN I NOTICED THE DASHBOARD LIGHT UP WITH THE POWER STEERING ICON. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 23,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10343979 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10345311 · 2010-07-26 (July 26, 2010)

WHILE TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT, LOSS OF STEERING POWER OCCURRED WHEN TURNING QUICKLY IN THE EACH/OPPOSITE DIRECTION. LOSS OF POWER INDICATOR LIGHT WAS ON. CAR WAS RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMALCY. MAZDA DEALERSHIP (DENNIS DILLON, BOISE, ID) WAS CALLED THE NEXT DAY, AND THEY WANTED TO IMMEDIATELY LOOK AT THE CAR. THE TECHNICIAN ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS MAY BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM, AND WAS FAMILIAR WITH SIMILAR ISSUES WITH THIS MODEL. PARTS WERE ORDERED (STEERING HOSES, ASSEMBLY, ETC.), AND SERVICE COMPLETED WITHIN 3 DAYS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 6,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10345311 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10398269 · 2011-04-29 (April 29, 2011)

PREMATURE TRANSMISSION FAILURE DUE TO CATASTROPHIC CLUTCH FAILURE FROM THE CLUTCH PLATE ITSELF ON 2009 MAZDA3 WITH ONLY 18,000 MILES ON IT. CAR WAS BOUGHT NEW FROM DEALERSHIP. CLUTCH FAILURE RESULTED IN AN INCIDENT OF LOSS OF CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE IN 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC DUE TO LOSS OF POWER THROUGH THE DRIVELINE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 18,050 miles reported. Look up ODI 10398269 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10317227 · 2010-03-05 (March 5, 2010)

PURCHASED VEHICLE ON 7/09. ON 1/6/10, VEHICLE FAILED TO START, AT FIRST CRANKING WITH NO ENGINE START THEN COMPLETE DISCHARGE OF SYSTEMS (NO CRANKING, NO BATTERY POWER WHATSOEVER). BROUGHT INTO DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD "MAIN RELAY" WAS DEFECTIVE AND WAS THE REASON BATTERY WAS NOT HOLDING ITS CHARGE. RELAY WAS REPLACED. SAME EVENTS AGAIN OCCURRED ON 3/3/10. CAR REMAINS IN DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR. CAR REMAINS INOPERABLE WHEN THESE EVENTS OCCUR. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 9,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10317227 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11439442 · 2021-11-04 (November 4, 2021)

The fuel pump lock ring on my 2009 Mazda Mazdaspeed3 has failed which is causing two engine codes: P0442 and P0455. In addition there is a strong smell of gasoline fumes around the rear of the car after driving and parking. The fuel pump lock ring is a plastic threaded ring which secures and seals the fuel pump and fuel level sender to the fuel tank. Mazda has released a safety recall 5121I for MY2009-2011 RX-8 and MY2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 vehicles. Mazda states: "On certain subject RX-8 and Mazdaspeed6 vehicles, improper installation of the f…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11439442 at NHTSA ↗