Mazda
Mazda Mazda3 years to avoid
No year to avoid stands out. Best years: 2020, 2023 and 2024.
No Mazda Mazda3 model year stands out. None from 2014 to 2024 draws 1.5 times the median of 9 complaints for each year on the road, and the highest is not clearly ahead of the next, so the individual car and its history matter more than the year.
- 464complaints
- 9recall campaigns
- 4model years with a page
Newest report Sep 11, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
- No year stands out.
Best years
2020
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2023
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2024
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2015 has the most complaints of any Mazda Mazda3 year here: 128 of 464 (28%).
- Problem across the years
- Infotainment is the top problem in every model year with a page, 138 reports in all. Pooled across the years, half of the 44 owners who gave a mileage for infotainment were under about 54,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 8% of Mazda Mazda3 complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2015, 11 of its 128 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 1 of the 4 model years where owners report infotainment have a recall on the same system: 2014. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2024 at 103 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 41. So far in 2026, 18 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: OSX, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
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Third generation (BM/BN)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 124 | 10 | 4 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (26) | 48,202 |
| 2015 | 128 | 11 | 4 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (35) | 45,000 |
| 2016 | 104 | 9 | 6 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (33) | 39,900 |
| 2018 | 108 | 12 | 4 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (44) | 32,000 |
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2017 (83), 2019 (74), 2020 (32), 2021 (52), 2022 (24), 2023 (12), 2024 (12).
Year by year
2018 Mazda Mazda3
108 owner complaints, 12 for each year on the road (1.4 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (44 reports, median 40,000 miles), wiper failure (13 reports) and windshield (10 reports). 6 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 23V-487 on the backup camera and 19V-272 on the visibility.
2016 Mazda Mazda3
104 owner complaints, 9 for each year on the road (1.1 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (33 reports, median 69,000 miles) and brake wear (14 reports). 7 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 15V-621 on the fuel system (do not drive) and 23V-487 on the backup camera.
2015 Mazda Mazda3
128 owner complaints, 11 for each year on the road (1.2 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (35 reports, median 53,953 miles) and brake wear (26 reports, median 52,000 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 8 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 15V-621 on the fuel system (do not drive) and 23V-487 on the backup camera.
2014 Mazda Mazda3
124 owner complaints, 10 for each year on the road (1.1 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (26 reports, median 47,000 miles), brake wear (21 reports, median 56,000 miles) and fuel tank problems (11 reports). 8 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 23V-487 on the backup camera and 14V-173 on the electrical system.
Recalls that cover several model years
The rearview camera image may not display properly by showing a flickering or distorted image.
Water could possibly enter the brake caliper causing the parking brake actuator shaft to corrode and possibly bind.
The fuel tank of the affected vehicles may have been improperly handled during manufacturing and, as a result, the welded attachment of the Inlet Check Valve (ICV) may fail and allow fuel to leak.
A defective windshield wiper relay may cause the windshield wipers to become inoperative, reducing the driver's visibility.
The affected vehicles are equipped with a fuel tank with a shut-off valve that can allow fuel to enter into the fuel tank emissions systems.
Compare the Mazda3 with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Mazda3 vs Honda Civic2014 to 2018
- Mazda3 vs Toyota Corolla2014 to 2018
Questions
What Mazda Mazda3 years should you avoid?
No Mazda Mazda3 model year stands out. None from 2014 to 2024 draws 1.5 times the median of 9 complaints for each year on the road, and the highest is not clearly ahead of the next, so the individual car and its history matter more than the year.
What are the best years for the Mazda Mazda3?
The 2020, 2023 and 2024 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2020 has 32 (5 a year), 2023 has 12 (3 a year) and 2024 has 12 (4 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Mazda Mazda3?
Infotainment, with 138 reports across the 4 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018.
How many recalls does the Mazda Mazda3 have?
9 recall campaigns cover the Mazda Mazda3 model years 2014 to 2018 on this site. The widest, 23V-487 on the backup camera, covers 4 model years.
How many Mazda Mazda3 complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
8% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2015 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for infotainment on the Mazda Mazda3?
On 1 of the 4 model years where owners report it: 2014.