U.S. public vehicle records

2011 Mazda MAZDA3 problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

132 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

45,100 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2011 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 95 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 28 of 132 complaints (21.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	15	11.4%
Transmission and shifting	13	9.8%
Braking behavior	9	6.8%
Electrical and battery issues	7	5.3%
Fuel system concerns	1	0.8%

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.

Air Bags

Seats

Unknown Or Other

Electrical System

Steering

Structure:Body

Power Train

Exterior Lighting

Air Bags: 28; Seats: 20; Unknown Or Other: 18; Electrical System: 15; Steering: 13; Structure:Body: 12; Power Train: 11; Exterior Lighting: 10

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: 25; 25,000 to 49,999: 26; 50,000 to 74,999: 15; 75,000 to 99,999: 10; 100,000 to 149,999: 14; 150,000 and above: 5

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (26). 37 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.

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2011: 6; 2012: 7; 2013: 13; 2014: 11; 2015: 5; 2016: 15; 2017: 21; 2018: 8; 2019: 10; 2020: 9; 2021: 11; 2022: 9; 2023: 1; 2024: 2; 2025: 2; 2026: 2

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 15 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 13 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 9 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 10426834 · 2011-09-22 (September 22, 2011)

ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2011 I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2011 MAZDA 3 FROM MAZDA OF ESCONDIDO. ON TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 13, 2011 I STARTED MY VEHICLE AND TURNED ON THE HEADLIGHTS AT WHICH POINT THE POWER STEERING LIGHT AND ALSO THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. AS I WAS TRYING TO PARK MY VEHICLE I NOTICED DIFFICULTY WITH THE POWER STEERING. ALSO, THE DSC BUTTON WOULD NOT TURN ON/OFF WHILE THE LIGHT WAS ON. ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2011 THE SAME TWO LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN. I TOOK A PICTURE OF THE LIGHTS AND THE ODOMETER READING SO WE COULD SHOW THE DE…

Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10426834 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10485020 · 2012-11-17 (November 17, 2012)

DRIVING FROM WISCONSIN TO CHICAGO ILLINOIS THE POWER STEERING FAILED. WHEN I STOPPED AT A TOLL BOOTH AND STARTED ON THE ROAD AGAIN, THE POWER STEERING WAS OK AS SOON AS THE CAR STARTED TO MOVE. SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN ON THE SAME DAY DRIVING ON SOUTH ON HWY I55 ABOUT 30 MILES FROM HOME. WHEN I STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT COMING INTO TOWN AND THEN LEFT THE STOP LIGHT, AGAIN THE POWER STEERING RETURNED TO NORMAL. ON ANOTHER DAY, IT HAPPENED ONE TIME AFTER THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED ON AN INCLINED. I BACKED THE CAR UP AND COULD FEEL THE POWER STEE…

Owner-reported narrative. 12,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10485020 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10436649 · 2011-11-21 (November 21, 2011)

I STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN AND MY CAR STARTED ACCELERATING AS IF THE ACCELERATOR WAS FULLY DEPRESSED. MY FOOT WAS SQUARELY ON THE BRAKE AT THE TIME BUT I WAS BEING PULLED SLOWLY FORWARD ON TO A BUSY ROADWAY. I AM AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER AND WAS ABLE TO TURN THE CAR SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT ALONG THE SHOULDER TO AVOID ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I SHIFTED INTO PARK, AND THEN SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. MY FOOT PLACEMENT WAS NO WHERE NEAR THE ACCELERATOR, AND THERE WERE NO OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS (I.E. CARPETS). WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL. AS AN …

Owner-reported narrative. 3,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10436649 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10458540 · 2012-05-15 (May 15, 2012)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA MAZDA3. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH THE RPMS INCREASED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO HESITATE WHILE ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE FAILURE OCCURRED DUE TO DRIVER ERROR. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE FLY WHEEL, CLUTCH, PRESSURE PLATE, AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 16,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10458540 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10456644 · 2012-04-27 (April 27, 2012)

I WENT ON A TRIP AND HAD MY TIRES ROTATED AND NO BRAKE WORK HAD BEEN DONE TO MY CAR. THE DEALER THAT ROTATED TIRES MECHANIC CALLED ME TO LOOK AT MY CAR AND SHOWED ME THAT MY BRAKES WERE WEARING UNEVENLY. THE ONE ON THE RIGHT SIDE HAD ABOUT 10MM OF BRAKE PAD ON IT AND THE LEFT SIDE HAD ONLY ABOUT 3MM OF BRAKE PAD LEFT. THE MECHANIC INSTRUCTED ME TO TAKE MY CAR BACK TO WHERE I BOUGHT IT AND HAVE THEM CHECK IT OUT BECAUSE THIS TYPE OF BREAK WEARING IS NOT NORMAL. I TOOK IT TO MAZDA THEY CHECKED IT OUT AND STATED THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG …

Owner-reported narrative. 29,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10456644 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10551224 · 2013-11-07 (November 7, 2013)

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 DIE…

Owner-reported narrative. 12,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10551224 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10628991 · 2014-08-27 (August 27, 2014)

I BOUGHT THIS MAZDA ON JUNE 2014 AND WAS RUNNING GREAT TILL FEW DAYS AGO WHEN THE POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING , I WAS TOLD TO CHANGE THE BATTERY BECAUSE THE POWER TAKES ALOT OF ELECTRICAL POWER BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED. SO I DECIDED TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER IN ARLINGTON FOR DIAGNOSTIC, THE RESULT WAS THAT THE PUMP HAS INTERNAL FAILURE AND THAT'S WILL COST ABOUT $1200 TO FIX IT . I HOPE MAZDA WILL FIX IT FOR ME FREE OF CHARGE SINCE THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED BY MANY AND IT IS HAS TO DO WITH SAFETY . *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 29,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10628991 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11093480 · 2018-05-12 (May 12, 2018)

CAR WAS HARD TO START IN 2014..REPLACED THE SPARK PLUG .CLEAN THE MAF SENSOR AND AIR INTAKE .USED 89 GRADE GAS .NOTHING WAS CHANGE .CAR WAS NOISE FROM THE BACK IN 2016.DIDNT FIND OUT THE PROBLEM .THEN 2WEEKS AGO SOMETIMES CAR STARTED AND FAILED RIGHT AWAY .DO MATTER THE ENGINE WAS COLD OR WARM .TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP .REPLACED FUEL PUMP .COSTED $988.CAR JUST GO BACK THE NORMAL FINALLY .SO THE FUEL PUMP HAD PROBLEM IN 2014.BUT JUST DIDNT DIE.FUEL PUMP SHOULD LAST LIFETIME WITH THE CAR .WE HAD SOME OLDER CAR LIKE 11YEARS .THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH …

Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11093480 at NHTSA ↗