2013 Mazda MAZDA3: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
117 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
40,660 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2013 model year. Data snapshot: . 80 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Exterior Lighting is the most frequently named component, appearing in 34 of 117 complaints (29.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 45 | 38.5% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 16 | 13.7% |
| Transmission and shifting | 11 | 9.4% |
| Steering behavior | 10 | 8.5% |
| Engine operation | 4 | 3.4% |
| Fuel system concerns | 2 | 1.7% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | 34 |
| Electrical System | 32 |
| Power Train | 18 |
| Service Brakes | 15 |
| Engine | 11 |
| Unknown Or Other | 10 |
| Seats | 9 |
| Steering | 9 |
Exterior Lighting: 34; Electrical System: 32; Power Train: 18; Service Brakes: 15; Engine: 11; Unknown Or Other: 10; Seats: 9; Steering: 9
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 17 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 29 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 17 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 10 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 5 |
| 150,000 and above | 2 |
Under 25,000: 17; 25,000 to 49,999: 29; 50,000 to 74,999: 17; 75,000 to 99,999: 10; 100,000 to 149,999: 5; 150,000 and above: 2
25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (29). 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 5 |
| 2014 | 9 |
| 2015 | 10 |
| 2016 | 19 |
| 2017 | 27 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2019 | 11 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 8 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
2013: 5; 2014: 9; 2015: 10; 2016: 19; 2017: 27; 2018: 11; 2019: 11; 2020: 6; 2021: 8; 2022: 3; 2023: 6; 2024: 1; 2025: 1
Pattern summary
Exterior Lighting leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 45 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 16 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 11 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10510148 · 2013-04-30 (April 30, 2013)
I DROVE THE CAR ON FRIDAY, 4/26/13, FOR ABOUT 120 MILES. ON 4/29/13, I FOUND THE BATTERY DIED. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME FOR THIS BRAND NEW CAR ABOUT A MONTH. IT'S NOT A RELIABLE PRODUCT. THE SERVICE LADY IN MAITA MAZDA SACRAMENTO TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD DRIVE THE CAR EVERYDAY TO KEEP THE BATTERY WORKING. WHY DIDN'T THEY TOLD ME BEFORE I BROUGHT IT. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 390 miles reported. Look up ODI 10510148 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10543517 · 2013-09-13 (September 13, 2013)
MY NEW 2013 MAZDA3 WITH ONLY 3660 MILES FAILED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. FIRST, THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD NOISE EVERY TIME I SHIFTED GEARS (MANUAL SHIFT.) THEN, I COULD NOT CHANGE GEARS AT ALL, AND THE ENGINE FAILED----I JUST BARELY GOT IT TO THE SHOULDER BEFORE IT QUIT ENTIRELY. THE DEALER SAYS THE CLUTCH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I'VE HAD THE CAR LESS THAN 6 MONTHS. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 3,660 miles reported. Look up ODI 10543517 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10552879 · 2013-11-19 (November 19, 2013)
MY CAR SUDDENLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF IT. I COASTED TO A STOP, STOPPED THE CAR, WAITED A BIT, THEN RESTARTED. IT WENT ABOUT HALF A MILE AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THE DEALER SAID IT'S A FAULTY TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY (AND I WAS TOLD IT'S A KNOWN ISSUE, BUT DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING HERE OR ON MAZDA'S WEBSITE). I WAS VERY LUCKY TO HAVE JUST GOTTEN OFF THE FREEWAY BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10552879 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10553870 · 2013-11-26 (November 26, 2013)
ON FRIDAY 11/22/13 4PM I WENT TO GET MY OIL CHANGED AND CAR SERVICED. IT WAS THE END OF THE DAY & THE TECHNICIANS LEAVE AT 5PM. AFTER I RECEIVED MY CAR AT 5:10PM, I DECIDED TO TAKE SIDE STREETS TO GO PICK UP MY BROTHER, INSTEAD OF TAKING THE FREEWAY. THE CAR STARTED SLOWING DOWN AND EVENTUALLY STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. THE ENGINE LIGHT AND THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM (TCS) TURNED ON. I GOT TO THE SIDE & CALLED THE MAZDA TUTTLE-CLICK IN IRVINE, CA SERVICE CENTER. HE TOLD ME SINCE THE ENGINE LIGHT WASN'T BLINKING THAT IT WASN'T A…
Owner-reported narrative. 5,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10553870 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10555467 · 2013-12-10 (December 10, 2013)
I AM A FIRE INVESTIGATOR WITH LEXINGTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. I RESPONDED TO A STRUCTURE FIRE ON THE LISTED DATE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE AND SPREAD TO THE BUILDING. THE VEHICLE BELONGS TO HERTZ RENTAL CAR. THE INDIVIDUAL RENTING THE VEHICLE REPORTED THAT HE HAD EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF AND THAT THE VEHICLE HAD TURNED ON AFTER HE TURNED IT OFF. HE REPORTED HE HAD PARKED, LEFT THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS RUNNING WHEN HE RETURNED. NO RECALLS WERE LOCATED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10555467 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10562107 · 2014-01-29 (January 29, 2014)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MAZDA, MAZDA 3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SITTING AT A TRAFFIC STOP, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE CONTACT AT 35 MPH, CAUSING THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO A PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN AND THE CONTACT'S HEAD WAS THROWN INTO THE WINDSHIELD. A PASSENGER SEATED IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AND SECURED IN THE SEAT BELT ALSO SUSTAINED HEAD INJURIES. BOTH WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. T…
Owner-reported narrative. 17,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10562107 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10567736 · 2014-03-07 (March 7, 2014)
I STARTED THE CAR AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. SHIFTED INTO GEAR THE "AT" LIGHT CAME ON. BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE AND THEY NEED TO REPLACE THE "TRANS VALVEBODY". LOOKS LIKE A RECURRING THEME HERE. THE CAR IS A 2013 MAZDA3 I GRAND TOURING HATCHBACK THAT IS ONLY ABOUT 7 MONTHS OLD AND HAS LESS THAN 7000 MILES. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 6,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10567736 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10577885 · 2014-04-07 (April 7, 2014)
DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AT 15 MPH, THE CAR IN FRONT OF MYSELF HAD SLOWED DOWN AND STOPPED AT A LIGHT. WHEN I SEEN SHE WAS STOPPING, I PRESSED DOWN MY BRAKES SO I WOULD STOP BUT THE BRAKE PEDDLE PUSHED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. MY CAR DIDN'T STOP. FROM THIS I HAD REAR-ENDED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE BRAKES WERE TESTED AGAIN AND RESULTED IN THE PEDDLE STILL BEING PUSHED DOWN TO THE FLOOR. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 26,081 miles reported. Look up ODI 10577885 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
16V644000 · Structure:Body:Hatchback/Liftgate
Reported: 2016-09-06 (September 6, 2016)
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles manufactured November 18, 2008, to June 8, 2013, 2012-2015 Mazda5 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2010, to June 22, 2015, 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 26, 2015, and 2013-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured December 15, 2011, to December 26, 2015. On the affected vehicles, the lift gate support struts may corrode, possibly causing the struts to break and/or the lift gate to drop unexpectedly.
Consequence: If the lift gate falls unexpectedly, it may hit the user, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: Mazda dealers will replace the both lift gate supports, free of charge, however parts are not currently available. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9916H.
NHTSA campaign record ↗