Mazda MX3 problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
57 owner complaints analyzed
3 distinct recall campaigns
125,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1991 to 1993 model years. Data snapshot: . 25 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Seat Belts is the most frequently named component, appearing in 18 of 57 complaints (31.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 6 | 10.5% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 4 | 7.0% |
| Engine operation | 2 | 3.5% |
| Braking behavior | 2 | 3.5% |
| Steering behavior | 2 | 3.5% |
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 18 |
| Seat Belts:Front:Retractor | 6 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 5 |
| Seat Belts:Front:Webbing | 5 |
| Electrical System | 4 |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 3 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 |
| Electrical System:Ignition | 2 |
Seat Belts: 18; Seat Belts:Front:Retractor: 6; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 5; Seat Belts:Front:Webbing: 5; Electrical System: 4; Air Bags:Frontal: 3; Vehicle Speed Control: 3; Electrical System:Ignition: 2
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 1 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 1 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 5 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 9 |
| 150,000 and above | 9 |
Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 5; 100,000 to 149,999: 9; 150,000 and above: 9
100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (9). 32 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 12 |
| 1996 | 4 |
| 2000 | 5 |
| 2001 | 4 |
| 2002 | 3 |
| 2003 | 3 |
| 2004 | 4 |
| 2005 | 4 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
1995: 12; 1996: 4; 2000: 5; 2001: 4; 2002: 3; 2003: 3; 2004: 4; 2005: 4; 2006: 2; 2008: 3; 2009: 3; 2010: 2; 2011: 3; 2016: 2; 2017: 1; 2018: 1; 2019: 1
Pattern summary
Seat Belts leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 6 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 4 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 2 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 10155312 · 2006-04-13 (April 13, 2006)
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION LOST FIRST AND SECOND GEARS, THE VEHICLE WAS SLOWED TO 30 MPH AND LOST THIRD AND FOURTH GEARS. IT WAS COASTED OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THIS IS THE THIRD TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED.
Owner-reported narrative. 180,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10155312 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10129851 · 2005-07-24 (July 24, 2005)
EVER SINCE I GOT MY CAR IT SEEMS ALL WE'VE HAD TO DO IS RELPLACE PARTS. WE HAVE HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS FROM THE START. UNTIL RECENTLY WHEN OUR CAR WAS FAILING TO GO AND GETTING STUCK EVEY TIME WE CAME TO A STOP LIGHT, I GOT THE IDEA THAT IT WASN'T HOW I WAS HANDILING IT, THAT THEIR WAS A MANU. PROBLEM. I SAW MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS MAKE ON THE TRANSMISSION, AND I DON'T THINK I SHOULD PAY ANYMORE TO GET IT REPLACED. EVERYTIME I TRY TO PUT ON THE GAS IT FAILS TO ACCELERATE. NOW IT MAKES A CLICKING NOISE EVERYTIME I PRESS THE GAS.
Owner-reported narrative. 150,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10129851 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10366606 · 2010-11-17 (November 17, 2010)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MAZDA MX3. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55-65 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BECAME STUCK IN THE BACK POSITION AND WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD. THE CONTACT PRESSED THE EMERGENCY RELEASE BUTTON TO GET OUT OF THE SEAT BELT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED OF RECALL 97V211000 (SEAT BELTS: FRONT: WEBBING). THE CONTACT WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT HE HAD TO HAVE THE DOOR LATCH SWITCH REPAIRED BEFORE THE RECALL REPAIR COULD BE PERFORMED. HE WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE WIRING NEEDED TO BE INS…
Owner-reported narrative. 145,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10366606 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10838633 · 2016-02-26 (February 26, 2016)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MAZDA MX3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V674000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10838633 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10041896 · 2003-09-29 (September 29, 2003)
WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. NO SPARKS WERE COMING FROM THE DISTRIBUTOR TO THE PLUGS.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. 83,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10041896 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 743561 · 2001-04-05 (April 5, 2001)
CAR IS WANTING TO STALL EVERY TIME I COME TO A STOOP. MUST PUT IN NEUTRAL TO KEEP FROM DOING. MECHANIC CLAIMED IT WAS THROTTLE BODY CARBON BUILD UP BUT THAT DID NOT FIX PROBLEM. SEEMS LIKE THIS MIGHT BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW THIS HAS BEEN FIXED IN PAST AND NOT LET MECHANIC KEEP GUESSING.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 743561 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 868289 · 2000-08-22 (August 22, 2000)
WHENEVER APPLYING BRAKES SUDDENL THEY WOULD LOCK UP EACH TIME. BRAKES WOULD WORK FINE WHEN NOT APPLIED SUDDENLY. WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER TO HAVE MECHANIC CHECK THEM OUT. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 868289 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 958931 · 1995-01-19 (January 19, 1995)
BRAKES ARE FAILING AND THE CAR ACCELERATES AT THE SAME TIME. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 958931 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10888982 · 2016-07-27 (July 27, 2016)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1992 MAZDA MX3. THE CONTACT SMELLED AN ABNORMAL BURNING ODOR AND NOTICED SPARKS COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN NEAR THE IGNITION. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND THE SPARKS STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THEY SOLD THE VEHICLE TO BE SALVAGED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 170,000.
Owner-reported narrative. 170,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10888982 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11012643 · 2017-08-03 (August 3, 2017)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MAZDA MX3. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE BATTERY CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT CALLED NORTH KANSAS CITY MAZDA (LOCATED IN NORTH KANSAS CITY, MO) WHO STATED THAT THEY WOULD RETRIEVE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER PICKED UP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOT…
Owner-reported narrative. 175,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11012643 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 0 |
| 1992 | 3 |
| 1993 | 3 |
1991: 0; 1992: 3; 1993: 3