There are 6 owner-reported visibility & wipers complaints for the 2012 Mazda Mazda3in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MAZDA 3. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. TACOMA MAZDA IN TACOMA, WASHINGTON STATED THAT THEY WERE UNAWARE OF THE FAILURE EVER OCCURRING IN THE PAST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 22,000.
DRIVING WITH NO TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME AND MOONROOF EXPLODED. DID NOT SEE OR HEAR A ROCK, JUST HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT. PULLED OFFER RIGHT AWAY AND MOON ROOF WAS SHATTERED. IT LOOKED LIKE IT BLEW OUT AS OPPOSED TO SMASHED IN. *TR
OVERNIGHT, THE MOONROOF GLASS BROKE ALONG THE FORWARD LEADING EDGE PARALLEL TO THE METAL BRACE THAT IS IN CONTACT WITH THE GLASS BENEATH IT. UPON CLOSING THE DOOR, THE FRACTURED GLASS BOWED UP AND PIECES OF THE SHATTERED GLASS ENDED UP ON THE FRONT EDGE OF THE ROOF. PICTURES ARE AVAILABLE, IF NEEDED. NOTE: NO DEBRIS WAS FOUND ON THE MOONROOF SUGGESTING THERE WAS NO IMPACT FROM ANY OUTSIDE SOURCE. NOTE: IT WAS NEGATIVE SIX DEGREES FAHRENHEIT WHEN DISCOVERED. *TR
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 60 MPH ON THE FREEWAY I HEARD A LOUD BANG AND SHATTERING SOUND FOLLOWED BY RUSHING WIND. THE SOUND WAS RIGHT BY MY HEAD AND I SAW SHARDS OF GLASS FLYING IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. THE SUNROOF HAD SHATTERED ON MY 2012 MAZDA 3. I ONLY HAD ABOUT 20000 MILES ON IT. NO ONE WAS INJURED BECAUSE I HAD THE CLOTH INTERIOR CLOSED, BUT HAD I BEEN DRIVING I COULD HAVE EASILY TAKEN GLASS IN THE FACE AND CRASHED. MY SUNROOF WAS DEFECTIVE AND MAZDA CLAIMS IT HAS NO RESPONSIBILITY IN THE MATTER. THEY SAY IT MUST HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A PEBBLE EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS AROUND AND I WAS DRIVING AT 5:30 IN THE MORNING. THEIR REASON FOR THIS BELIEF IS THAT IF THEY ARE DEFECTIVE THEY "USUALLY BREAK EARLIER." *TR
WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 35 - 40 MPH (ACCELERATING) ON A LONG WINDING WOODED RURAL INTERSTATE ONRAMP, NO OTHER VEHICLE TRAFFIC NEARBY, THE SUNROOF (CLOSED AT THE TIME) LITERALLY BUCKLED UPWARD AND EXPLODED OUTWARD. IT WAS VERY LOUD LIKE A SHOTGUN. AT THE TIME IT HAPPENED, IT GAVE BOTH MYSELF AND MY DAUGHTER THE IMPRESSION THAT SOMEONE HAD FIRED A GUN AT US AND WE DID NOT STOP UNTIL WE REACHED THE NEXT EXIT. WE WERE VERY RATTLED BY THE INCIDENT. THERE WAS DEFINITELY NO PREVIOUS DAMAGE TO THE GLASS AND NO ROCK OR OTHER FOREIGN OBJECT INVOLVED. THE GLASS THAT WAS EXPELLED FLEW UP AND OUT BEHIND THE VEHICLE EXCEPT FOR SOME GLASS PIECES THAT STAYED ON THE ROOF AND THE TRUNK. VERY LITTLE OF THE APPROXIMATELY 8"X10" SECTION OF MISSING GLASS FELL IN THE TRAY BENEATH. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE WE WERE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AT HIGHER SPEEDS, OR EVEN IF MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER HAD BEEN DRIVING AT THE TIME, I'M NOT SURE IT WOULDN'T HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MAZDA MAZDA3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHROME PANELING ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE DASHBOARD WAS CAUSING MOMENTARILY BLINDNESS WHEN THE SUN OR LIGHT REFLECTED OFF THE CHROME. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY ADVISED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
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