There are 37 owner-reported tires & wheels complaints for the 2009 Mazda Mazda3in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
WHILE INFLATING A TIRE FOR ONE OF OUR CUSTOMERS, THE VALVE STEM BROKE CAUSING ALL AIR TO ESCAPE FROM THE TIRE.
TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS DEFECTIVE. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ALL 4 OF THE SENSORS BECAUSE OF BROKEN RETAINING NUTS OR CORRODED STEMS. 3 OF THE SENSORS FAILED DURING DRIVING, CAUSING AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE, CAUSING ME TO ALSO REPLACE 3 OF MY TIRES. ANOTHER FAILED AS I WAS CHECKING THE TIRE PRESSURE, FALLING INTO THE TIRE. PER GOODYEAR TIRE STORES, OTHER MANUFACTURES HAVE GONE TO A REPLACEABLE RUBBER STEM BECAUSE OF THIS, BUT NOT MAZDA. FIRST SENSOR REPLACED AT MAZDA DEALERSHIP APPROXIMATELY MID 2011, SECOND SENSOR REPLACED 6/01/2013, THIRD SENSOR REPLACED 9/17/2014, AND FOURTH SENSOR REPLACED 3/12/2016 ALL BY GOODYEAR TIRE STORES.
TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS CORRODE AND FALL APART CAUSING TIRES TO GO FLAT INSTANTLY. I HAVE HAD 3 OF THE ORIGINAL SENSORS FAIL AND THE MOST RECENT ONE (2-16-16) ALSO DESTROYED THE TIRE. THIS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE ON 2-16-16. THESE ORIGINAL SENSORS ARE A SAFETY HAZARD AND SHOULD BE RECALLED.
I HEARD A BRIEF AUDIBLE ALARM AND NOTICED THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING SYMBOL ON THE DASH WAS LIT. AFTER ADDING AIR TO ON OFF THE TIRES WITH A HAND PUMP, IN REMOVING AIR PUMP NOZZLE FROM TIRE VALVE, THE VALVE BROKE AND ALL AIR LOST FROM THE TIRE. THIS WAS THE SECOND SUCH OCCURRENCE THIS YEAR. A REPAIR SHOP PERSON SAID THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR ON THE VALVES TEND TO RUST AND CAN BREAK AFTER A FEW YEARS. AS THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THIS OCCURRED TO ME IN RECENT MONTHS, I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD REPORT IT. BEYOND MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS CAR, I CAN'T RECALL EVER HAVING A VALVE STEM BREAK OFF WHEN FILLING A TIRE WITH AIR AND I HAVE BEEN DRIVING AND ADDING AIR TO TIRES FOR A LONG TIME. OTHERWISE, MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE CAR HAS BEEN FINE. *TR
DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON, IMMEDIATELY WENT TO SIDE OF ROAD AND TIRE RUINED. HAD TROUBLE DIRECTING CAR TO SIDE OF ROAD. FORTUNATELY, NOBODY WAS AROUND. THE TIRE SENSOR CAME APART. ON 2 OTHER TIRES, THE WERE BREAKING, SO HAD TO BE REPLACED. RUINED TIRE HAPPENED IN 2014, BUT REPAIRED TIRES WERE IN 2015.
THE TIRE SENSORS VALVE STEMS CRACKED AND THE TIRES WOULDN'T HOLD AIR IN THE TIRES. MAZDA DID REPLACE 2 BUT SAID IT WAS DONE AS A ONE TIME OFFER. NOW THE OTHER STEMS WON'T HOLD AIR PRESSURE THE TIRES ARE ALWAYS LEAKING AIR. I AM AFRAID THAT THE STEMS MIGHT BREAK OFF AS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THESE ARE DEFECTIVE STEMS. *TR
TIRES PRESSURE MONITORS SENSORS WON'T HOLD AIR.TIRES GO FLAT. *TR
I CONSTANTLY HAVE ISSUES WITH MY TIRE PRESSURE BEING LOW. I WENT TO FILL MY TIRES UP FOR THE 3RD TIME IN 4 MONTHS AND AS I PUT THE COMPRESSOR TO THE TIRE VALVE, THE VALVE SNAPPED OFF. ALL THE AIR POURED OUT OF MY TIRE. LUCKILY I WASN'T DRIVING AT THE TIME. I CHANGED THE TIRE TO MY DONUT AND DROVE IMMEDIATELY TO MY TIRE CENTER. THEY LOOKED AT THE BROKEN VALVE AND TOLD ME IT HAD CORRODED AND THAT THE WHOLE TPM SYSTEM WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. HE ALSO WENT ON TO TELL ME THAT THIS IS COMMON. I ASKED HIM "SO, SHOULD I BE WORRIED ABOUT THIS HAPPENING AGAIN WITH A DIFFERENT TIRE?" AND HE SAID THAT HE WOULD BE LYING TO ME IF HE TOLD ME THAT I SHOULDN'T BE CONCERNED. $150 AND 4 HOURS LATER, I HAD A NEW TPM SYSTEM IN THAT TIRE. KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED EVERY DAY THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR
ON AUGUST 16TH 2013 I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING CAME ON AND A FEW MILES LATER FELT THE CAR PULLING TOWARDS THE LEFT AND REALIZED I HAD A FLAT TIRED AND PULLED OVER. I CHANGED THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE AND CONTINUED ON MY WAY. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP AND REQUESTED THEY LOOK AT THE TIRE. THEY INFORMED ME THE TIRE WAS PERFECTLY FINE AND WHAT CAUSED THE TIRE TO GO FLAT WAS THE TPMS SENSOR. THE SENSOR THREADS HAD CORRODED AND RELEASED ALL OF THE AIR FROM THE TIRE. THEY THEN INFORMED ME ALL OF THE REMAINING SENSORS WERE IN JUST AS BAD SHAPE AND COULD FAIL AT LITERALLY ANY MOMENT. I THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP LOOKED THE VEHICLE AND CONFIRMED THAT TPMS SENSOR WAS WHAT CAUSED THE TIRE TO GO FLAT AND THE OTHER SENSORS ARE BAD AND READY TO FAIL AS WELL. I HAD THREE SENSORS REPLACED AND I WENT HOME AND DECIDED TO CALL MAZDA DIRECTLY AND SPEAK WITH A REPRESENTATIVE AND SEE WHAT COULD BE WORKED OUT. I SPOKE TO A REPRESENTATIVE BY THE NAME OF [XXX] AND I ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY RECALL ON THE VEHICLES TPMS SENSOR. SHE INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS NOT A RECALL ON THE ITEM I SPECIFIED AND THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE DOCUMENTED. THAT WAS IT. BASICALLY I WAS TOLD GOOD LUCK WITH MY PROBLEM. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD THEM REPLACE THE FINAL TPMS SENSOR SINCE IT WAS GOING TO FAIL SOON AND I DIDN'T WANT ANOTHER FLAT TIRE OR WORSE, AN ACCIDENT. I'VE LOOKED AROUND THE INTERNET AND FOUND OTHER PEOPLE COMPLAINING OF THE SAME ISSUE ON MAZDA VEHICLES IN A VERY CLOSE YEAR RANGE AS MINE. I FEEL THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. IT IS NOT NORMAL FOR AN ITEM OF A VEHICLE TO FAIL AND RELEASE ALL OF THE AIR FROM THE TIRE IF THE ITEM WASN'T DAMAGED BY SOME SORT OF EXTERNAL FORCE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
TWO OF THE TPMS (TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING S___?) SENSORS WERE CRACKED AND REPLACED AT A DISCOUNTED COST TO ME OF $325. THE CAR IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD WITH UNDER 52,000 MILES AND TWO OF THEM CRACK AT THE SAME TIME (!). THE MAZDA DEALER SAID THAT THEY GET A NUMBER OF THESE PROBLEMS AND THAT THEY THINK IT IS DUE TO POOR QUALITY METAL BEING USED. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THEY CRACK TOO EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE CUSTOMER HAS NO WAY OF DETERMINING THIS OR EVEN KNOWING HOW OR WHERE TO LOOK. I AM NOW VERY NERVOUS ABOUT THE REMAINING TWO.
THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SENSOR MOUNTED IN THE RIM FAILED AND THE TIRE LOST AIR PRESSURE WHILE TRAVELING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY UNTIL IT WAS FLAT AND THE SPARE TIRE NEEDED TO BE MOUNTED. THE FLAT TIRE WAS LATER TAKEN TO A TIRE SERVICE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE FLAT WAS CAUSED BY CORROSION OF THE THREADED ALUMINUM STEM ON THE TPMS CAUSING THE PLASTIC RETAINING NUT TO CRACK AND FALL OFF RESULTING IN A LEAK AROUND THE RIM AND STEM. THE CORROSION WAS SO SEVERE THAT THE TPMS COULD NOT BE USED, AND A RUBBER VALVE STEM INSERTED. THE CORROSION WAS NOT OBVIOUS AS THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE ROUTINELY INFLATES THE TIRES, THE NUT CONCEALED THE CORROSION. CORROSION THIS SEVERE WAS NOT ANTICIPATED AT 25K MILES OF DRIVING, THE TIRES WERE NOT YET WORN TO THE POINT OF REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. THE DESIGN AND APPLICATION OF THE TPMS USED FOR THIS VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS AS RAPID DEFLATION OF THE TIRE COULD HAVE RESULTED, THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE OF THE VALVE STEM DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY INDICATION OF PENDING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE, THE EXPOSURE OF THE TIRE AND VALVE STEM TO DE-ICING MATERIALS IN THE NORTHEASTERN USA IS A NORMAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE THAT WOULD WARRANT SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER CORROSION PROTECTION THAN THE OEM TPMS THAT IS INSTALLED PROVIDES. A FULL RECALL AND REPLACEMENT OF THE TPMS'S INSTALLED IN THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR NEEDS TO BE MADE. THIS TYPE OF FAILURE HAS NEVER BEEN EXPERIENCED BY THE OWNER WHEN RUBBER VALVE STEMS WERE USED IN THE PAST, IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT A NEW SAFETY DEVICE - TPMS - PRESENTS A HIGHER RISK FOR CATASTROPHIC RAPID DEFLATION OF A TIRE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THAN WOULD EVER BE EXPECTED. *TR
12/26/12, TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON, PULLED OFF HIGHWAY IMMEDIATELY, TIRE FLAT, NUT HOLDING PRESSURE STEM HAD DISINTEGRATED AND STEM WENT INSIDE TIRE. 1/2/13, ANOTHER TIRE WENT FLAT IN PARKING AREA, NEIGHBOR CAME OVER TO PUT AIR IN TIRE, NUT HOLDING PRESSURE STEM HAD DISINTEGRATED AND STEM WENT INSIDE TIRE. MAZDA DEALERSHIP MADE REPAIR AND SAID THE OTHER TWO TIRE STEM NUTS WOULD GO IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS. ALL FOUR TIRE STEM NUTS WERE REPLACED. RESEARCH ON INTERNET SHOWS THAT THIS SAME PROBLEM HAS OCCURED TO MANY PEOPLE OWNING DIFFERENT MAKE/MODEL/YEAR VEHICLES. APPARENTLY A DEFECTIVE NUT AND STEM SYSTEM WITH ONE OF THREE SERIAL NUMBERS WERE ON ALL THE VEHICLES EXPERIENCING THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION. I BELIEVE THESE NUT AND STEM SYSTEMS WITH THESE SERIAL NUMBERS SHOULD BE RECALLED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS TO AVOID ANYONE EXPERIENCING A DANGEROUS BLOWOUT. A NUT ON THE WHEEL SHOULD NOT BE MADE OF A MATERIAL THAT DISINTEGRATES IN LESS THAN 4 YEARS EVEN IF IT IS IN CONTACT WITH ROAD SALT. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. THE FACT THAT TWO NUTS DISINTEGRATED IN 8 DAYS AND PROBABILITY OF NEXT TWO IN TWO WEEKS SHOULD RAISE RED FLAGS IMMEDIATELY. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO ANYONE! I AM SUBMITTING THIS INFORMATION FOR MY DAUGHTER AS SHE IS STILL VERY UPSET OVER THIS HAVING HAPPENED AND HAVING INCURRED GREAT EXPENSE ON HER PART. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MAZDA MAZDA3 EQUIPPED WITH SIEMENS SENSOR CDOV 847D TIRE VALVES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE CHECKING THE TIRE PRESSURE, BOTH OF THE REAR TIRES AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRES COLLAPSED INWARD AND BECAME DEFLATED. THE VALVE STEMS WERE REPLACED WITH RUBBER VALVES STEMS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,000.
TPMS VALVES BADLY CORRODED AND LEAKING AIR, THESE NEED TO BE RECALLED AND REPLACED BY MAZDA DUE TO THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS OCCURRING UNDER NORMAL USE AND CARE. THIS IS DEFINITELY A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE BLOWOUTS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *TR
TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON I PULLED OVER AND VALVE STEM BLEW A PIN OUT. ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE CALLED TO HELP ME AND VERIFIED IT WAS A PRESSURE VALVE STEM FAULT. SEEMS TO BE A LONG REPORTED ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE AND YEAR. WAS INFORMED TO CHECK ALL OTHER TIRE STEMS FOR DEFECTS. *TR
MAZDA HAS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE VALVE STEMS BREAKING EVEN WITH THE OEM CAPS BUT THEY STILL INSIST OPERATOR ERROR AND OR THERE WHERE AFTERMARKET ONES ON AT THE TIME OF THE BREAKAGE. *TR
I HAVE HAD THREE OEM VALVE STEMS ROT OUT AND COMPLETELY FALL INTO THE TIRE CAUSING A RAPID DEFLATION AND RISK OF CONTROL LOSS OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRST VALVE STEM ROTTED OUT IN 2012 AND WAS REPLACED. I ASSUMED IT WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT (STUFF HAPPENS). IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS THE SECOND AND 3RD VALVE STEM ROTTED OUT AND HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY BELLETIRE (2ND IN JULY, 3RD TODAY). LUCKILY I WAS DRIVING ON SIDE ROADS WHEN THESE OCCURRED. IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE IF I WAS ON THE FREEWAY. I LOOKED UP AND SAW THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THE 2009 MAZDA 3 SO I CALLED TO FILE A COMPLAINT AND WAS TOLD CORROSION IS NEVER COVERED IN WARRANTY. THIS IS NOT ABOUT CORROSION, THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. *TR
PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS THE THIRD INSTANCE OF THIS PART/SYSTEM FAILURE! THE ALUMINUM TIRE AIR VALVE IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO CRACKING AND BREAKING! THE METAL TIRE VALVE CRACKED WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING A SUDDEN AND INSTANT LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE. THESE ARE FAULTY VALVES, THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED ON DIFFERENT TIRES. IF THE TEMPERATURE DROPS THE CHANCES OF THIS FAILURE ACCRUING IS SEVERELY MULTIPLIED. THESE VALVES ROT AND JUST GIVE OUT WITH NO WARNING. PLEASE RECALL THIS PART! THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF REPORTS AND VIDEOS ONLINE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE CONTACTED MAZDA AFTER ALL THREE OF THESE OCCURRENCES AND THEY ARE CLAIMING "DRIVER ERROR"! THEY REFUSE TO ADMIT THIS IS A PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE VALVES. *TR
AUG 2011, I WAS DRIVING ON THE AUTOBAHN IN GERMANY WHEN MY REAR TIRE SUDDENLY AND COMPLETELY DEFLATED AT HIGH SPEED. THE MECHANIC SAID THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS VALVE HEX NUT BROKE OFF AND CAUSED THE TIRE TO DEFLATE, ALSO DESTROYED MY TIRE. JAN 2012, THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THIS TIME THE FRONT TIRE WAS NEARLY FLAT AND THE SENSOR HEX NUT WAS BROKEN AND BARELY ATTACHED. I TOUCHED THE NUT AND IT DISINTEGRATED IN MY HAND. THE TIRE IMMEDIATELY LOST PRESSURE AND DEFLATED. THE INSIDE OF THE NUT WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED, ALONG WITH THE SENSOR VALVE. I WROTE MAZDA AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T HELP ME BECAUSE THE MILEAGE WAS PAST MY WARRANTY AND THEY DO NOT GUARANTEE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF ANY PART. THEY DIDN'T ADDRESS MY SAFETY CONCERNS ABOUT A TIRE SUDDENLY DEFLATING AT HIGH SPEED. I STRONGLY SUGGEST MAZDA INVESTIGATE THIS CORROSION PROBLEM WITH THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS. ANY PROBLEM THAT CAN CAUSE THE TIRE TO SUDDENLY DEFLATE AT HIGH SPEED IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD AND NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. I REPLACED ALL MY SENSORS AT A COST OF AROUND $450, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL $180 FOR A NEW TIRE. *TR
DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE IN THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. THE TPMS WARNING CAME ON. ON INSPECTION THE TIRE VALVE WAS MISSING, IT LOOKED SHEERED OFF. TOOK THE CAR INTO A TIRE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT CENTER AND HAD A NEW TPMS VALVE INSTALLED. I'VE SINCE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON FAILURE IN MAZDA 3'S, AND LIKELY MANY MAZDA'S. AT THE TIME, I CONTACTED A MAZDA DEALER WHO OFFERED NO EXPLANATION AS TO HOW A VALVE STEM CAN SHEER CLEAN OFF WHILE DRIVING ON A FLAT, CLEAN HIGHWAY. ALL THEY OFFERED WAS A REPLACEMENT PART, NOT WARRANTY, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS UNDER THE BASIC WARRANTY AT THE TIME. SINCE THEN WE'VE HAD ANOTHER TIRE AIR VALVE SHEER OFF ON A SECOND MAZDA 3 (2009) WE HAVE. WE BOUGHT 2 - 2009 MAZDA 3'S AT THE SAME TIME. THE SECOND MAZDA 3 HAD LOW TIRE PRESSURE. ON INSPECTION, THE VALVE CAP WAS REMOVED AND THE VALVE BROKE OFF. IT BROKE WAS THE CAP WAS BEING REMOVED. THIS IS A VERYDANGEROUS CONDITION AS THESE THINGS CAN SHEER OFF ANY TIME WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION, AND YOU HAVE A SUDDEN LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE AT HIGHWAY SPEED, WHICH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. WE'VE NOW EXPERIENCED 2 FAILURES ON 2 CARS, AND ONE FAILURE OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEED THAT RESULTED IN A VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE FOR A YOUNGER LADY OF COLLEGE AGE. THIS IS DANGEROUS. MAZDA NEEDS TO PROPERLY ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM AND MANUFACTURE A PROPER VALVE THAT CAN BE USED IN A VERY COMMON USE SCENARIO, NAMELY, DRIVING DURING THE WINTER MONTHS WHEN SALT IS BEING USED FOR SAFETY REASONS. THAT SHOULD NOT BE USED AS AN EXCUSE AS TO WHY THAT PART FAILS. HERE ARE AT LEAST A COUPLE OF WEBSITES WHERE YOU CAN SEE THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON. HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/2009/MAZDA/MAZDA3/TIRES/PROBLEM.ASPX HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/2009/MAZDA/MAZDA3/TIRE+PRESSURE+MONITORING+SYSTEM. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 37 complaints
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