1994 Mazda MX-3: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
11 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
95,900 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1994 model year. Data snapshot: . 8 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Suspension:Front:Springs:Coil Springs is the most frequently named component, appearing in 6 of 11 complaints (54.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 2 | 18.2% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Suspension:Front:Springs:Coil Springs | 6 |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components | 1 |
| Steering:Linkages:Tie Rod Assembly | 1 |
| Suspension | 1 |
| Suspension:Rear:Springs:Coil Springs | 1 |
| Visibility:Glass, Side/Rear | 1 |
Suspension:Front:Springs:Coil Springs: 6; Air Bags:Frontal: 1; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components: 1; Steering:Linkages:Tie Rod Assembly: 1; Suspension: 1; Suspension:Rear:Springs:Coil Springs: 1; Visibility:Glass, Side/Rear: 1
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 | 3 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 3 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 3; 100,000 to 149,999: 3; 150,000 and above: 0
75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (3). 3 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 | 2 |
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2004 | 2 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2013 | 1 |
1995: 2; 2000: 1; 2003: 1; 2004: 2; 2006: 2; 2007: 2; 2013: 1
Pattern summary
Suspension:Front:Springs:Coil Springs leads the component reports. Braking behavior 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10010511 · 2003-03-15 (March 15, 2003)
THE LEFT FRONT (DRIVER'S SIDE) COIL SPRING BROKE WHILE I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK. THE TIRE AND RIM WERE DAMAGED, LEAVING ME STRANDED ON HIGHWAY. *NLM
Owner-reported narrative. 35 miles reported. Look up ODI 10010511 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10100670 · 2004-11-28 (November 28, 2004)
EITHER DEC 2000 OR JAN 2001 MY MAZDA MX-3 HAD A FRONT COIL SPRING BREAK. MY MECHANIC CONTACTED MAZDA DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE AND SHOWED THE COIL TO HIM. MY MECHANIC FELT THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED. THE DISTRICT REP SAID THERE WAS NOTHING MAZDA COULD DO. I CONTACTED MAZDA MYSELF AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD DO NOTHING. THEN A FEW MONTHS LATER, I FOUND YOUR WEBSITE AND CONVEYED THE INFORMATION FOUND TO MAZDA AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS NOT A RECALL FOR THE MX-3 ONLY THE MX-6. THEY SAID YOUR WEBSITE WAS INCORRECT. TODAY…
Owner-reported narrative. 114,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10100670 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10101801 · 2004-11-30 (November 30, 2004)
WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AT 10 MPH OR LESS CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE AND NOTICED THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS FLAT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE REPAIR SHOP. MECHANIC INFORMED DETERMINED THAT COIL SPRING BROKE AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. THE REPAIR SHOP NOTIFIED A LOCAL MAZDA DEALER.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. 114,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10101801 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10152139 · 2006-03-07 (March 7, 2006)
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PARKING THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS BROKE. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 97V116000, REGARDING THE SUSPENSION FRONT SPRINGS COIL SPRINGS. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.
Owner-reported narrative. 94,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10152139 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10158359 · 2006-05-26 (May 26, 2006)
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE EXPLODED DUE TO A PUNCTURE FROM A FRACTURED COIL SPRING. THERE IS A RECALL, # 97V116000 FOR THE COIL SPRING ON THE CONTACTS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL. HOWEVER THE CONTACTS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE RECALL ONLY APPLIES TO VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN SALT STATES. THE CONTACT USE TO LIVE IN NEBRASKA AND COMMUTED TO A SALT STATE, IOWA, AND NOW LIVES IN FLORIDA. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO REFUSED TO PROVIDE THE RECALL LETT…
Owner-reported narrative. 97,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10158359 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10210991 · 2007-12-06 (December 6, 2007)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 MAZDA MX-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TWO FRONT COIL SPRINGS FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE CD AXLES ON BOTH SIDES TO FAIL. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL. IN ADDITION, THE AREA WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED WAS NOT AFFECTED. THE CD AXLES WERE REPLACED. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 63,000.
Owner-reported narrative. 63,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10210991 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10212758 · 2007-12-13 (December 13, 2007)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 MAZDA MX-3. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE FRONT COIL SPRING FAILED AND CAUSED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE TO BLOW OUT. THE ROTATION OF THE COIL SPRING PUNCTURED THE TIRE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. THE TIRE MUST BE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 97V116000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS). THE VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE CRUISE CONTROL OR ANTILOCK BRAKES. THE CONTACT IS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FA…
Owner-reported narrative. 78,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10212758 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10496731 · 2013-02-07 (February 7, 2013)
TL THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 MAZDA MX3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER PARKING IN A RESIDENTIAL GARAGE, SHE HEARD A LOUD POP. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, SHE REALIZED THAT THE COIL SPRING FRACTURED AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 97V116000 (SUSPENSION). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000. MAH
Owner-reported narrative. 140,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10496731 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.
97V116000 · Suspension:Front:Springs:Coil Springs
Reported: 1997-07-22 (July 22, 1997)
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, NW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND WASHINGTON, DC. IN AREAS WHERE LARGE QUANTITIES OF ROAD SALT ARE USED, CORROSIVE PITS CAN DEVELOP ON THE SURFACE OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING. REPEATED USE CAN EVENTUALLY CAUSE THE COIL SPRING TO BREAK AND A TIRE COULD BE PUNCTURED FROM CONTACT WITH THE BROKEN COIL SPRING.
Consequence: THIS CONDITION INCREASES THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A GUARD ASSEMBLY WHICH WILL PREVENT THE BROKEN COIL SPRING FROM CONTACTING THE TIRE. IN ADDITION TO PERFORMING THE RECALL CAMPAIGN, MAZDA IS EXTENDING THE WARRANTY COVERAGE ON THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS FOR THE LIFT OF THE VEHICLE. IF OWNERS HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR THE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT OF THESE FRONT COIL SPRINGS, DUE TO ROAD SALT DAMAGE, MAZDA WILL REIMBURSE THESE OWNERS FOR REASONABLE EXPENSES.
NHTSA campaign record ↗