There are 8 owner-reported fuel system complaints for the 2004 Mazda Mazda3in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITH EVAP LEAK CODE. SMALL LEAK AT FIRST THEN INCLUDED LARGE LEAK CODE LATER. ALSO BEGAN TO NOTICE STRONG GAS SMELL OUTSIDE VEHICLE AFTER FUELING. TURNED OUT THE FUEL PUMP RING THAT HOLDS DOWN AND SEALS FUEL PUMP TO FUEL TANK HAD CRACKED. OVER TIME THE SPLIT BECAME LARGER. WHEN TANK WAS FILLED, RAW FUEL WOULD LEAK OUT AROUND PUMP ON TOP OF TANK. WHICH ALSO HAPPENS TO BE RIGHT UNDER THE REAR SEAT WHERE ME KIDS SIT. REPLACEMENT WAS EXPENSIVE BECAUSE THE RING COULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM UNDER THE SEAT. IT REQUIRED DROPPING THE TANK TO REPAIR. MECHANIC FELT IT WAS A STRESS CRACK. THE FUEL PUMP HAD NEVER BEEN WORKED ON BEFORE. THE ORIGINAL RING WAS INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY.
THERE WAS A STRONG FUEL SMELL THAT WAS OCCURRING ON BOTH THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF MY CAR EVERY TIME I FILLED MY CAR UP. I TOOK TO MY THE MECHANIC AND IT WAS FOUND MY FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING IN 2 SPOTS. ONE WAS PART OF THE GAS TANK THAT VENTS THE FUMES - THAT SEAL WAS LEAKING AND THE OTHER WAS PART OF THE LOCKING RING THAT IS ON THE GAS TANK ITSELF WAS CRACKED.
I WAS FILLING MY GAS TANK UP AND NOTICED FUEL LEAKING ON THE GROUND.DROPED CAR OFF FOR REPAIR. GARAGE DID SMOKE TEST OF FUEL TANK AND IDENTIFIED THAT THE PLASTIC RING ON FUEL PUMP WAS CRACKED, THE GARAGE HAD TO REMOVE THE FUEL TANK AND REPLACE THE PLASTIC RING AND SEAL. MY WARRANTY DID NOT COVER THIS REPAIR AND IT COST ME OUT OF POCKET $399.96 MY REQUEST IS THIS COVERED UNDER ANY REGULATIONS OR RECALLS ON THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF VEHICLE? *TR
BUCKING AND LOSS OF POWER, NOISE COMING FROM AREA NEAR FUEL PUMP UNTIL PART FAILED COMPLETELY AND CAR WOULD NOT START, OR IT WAS TAKEN IN FOR REPAIR BEFORE COMPLETE FAILURE TO BE REPLACED. FOUR FUEL PUMPS HAVE BEEN REPLACED IN 10 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP OF NEW CAR. *NM
DURING ACCELLERATION LOSES POWER, HESITATES, FEELS LIKE ITS GOING TO STALL AND SMOKE COMES OUT OF EXHAUST. DEALER HAS REPLACED FUEL PUMP, PROBLEM GOT BETTER FOR A SHORT PERIOD BUT HAS BEGUN TO REOCCUR. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SO THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO FOR ME. TWO FAILED REPAIR ATTEMPTS - COUNTING UP TO LEMON LAW!
MY MAZDA3 IS 4 MONTHS OLD AND I HAVE BEEN TOWED 2 TIMES IN THE LAST 3 DAYS. BOTH TIMES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON FIRST, THEN THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH AND THEN I LOST ACCELERATION POWER AND COULD ONLY GO A FEW MILES AN HOUR TO PULL OVER. THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED WAS WITHIN 2 MILES OF THE DEALERSHIP AFTER I HAD PICKED IT UP FROM "GETTING FIXED"--THE THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED. NOW THEY ARE TELLING ME IT WAS BECAUSE I WAS "LOW ON GAS" (UNDER 1/4 TANK). PRIOR TO THIS I WAS HAVING HESITATIONS AT 30 MILES AN HOUR--MOST NOTICABLE WHEN ENGINE WAS COLD. THE DEALER COULD NEVER NOTICE THE PROBLEM DESPITE MY BRINGING IT FOR SERVICE 2 TIMES. ? IF THE PROBLEMS ARE ALL RELATED OR NOT.*AK
AFTER DRIVING 45 MPH ON BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY FOR AT LEAST 3 HOURS, I WAS EXITING ONTO A MAJOR HIGHWAY. WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS, I HAD A LOSS OF POWER THAT ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. COULD NOT EASILY RECREATE THE PROBLEM, SO I DID NOT GO TO THE DEALER ABOUT IT. *NM
FAULTY FUEL PUMP LEADS TO SEVERAL ENGINE STALLS. *AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026