There are 3 owner-reported steering complaints for the 2019 Mazda Mazda3in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
JAN. 23, 2020. 10:45 AM. I WAS ON MY STREET, A NARROW RESIDENTIAL STREET, PREPARING TO BACK IN MY GARAGE. IN ORDER TO DO THAT ON THIS NARROW STREET, I TOUCHED THE LIP OF THE DRIVEWAY ACROSS THE STREET. SPEED WELL UNDER 3 MPH. WHEN I DID SO, MY CAR SUDDENLY SHARPLY ACCELERATED AND AT THE SAME TIME SWERVED TO THE RIGHT. THE ACCELERATION AND SWERVE DROVE THE CAR INTO THE TOWNHOUSES ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY HOUSE. THE DRIVEWAYS ARE VERY SHORT, BARELY A CAR'S LENGTH. AFTER CRASHING, I COULD FEEL THE CAR STILL ACCELERATING. I QUICKLY SWITCHED THE CAR INTO PARK AND THE SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION CONTINUED. IN ORDER TO STOP IN I HAD TO TURN THE CAR OFF. WHEN THE TOWING COMPANY TURNED THE CAR ON LATER IT IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO SPONTANEOUSLY ACCELERATE AND SURGE FORWARD AGAIN. THE MAZDA DEALER AND INSURANCE INSPECTOR EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THERE IS A SENSOR: WHEN A WHEEL ENCOUNTERS WHAT IT PERCEIVES TO BE AN OBSTACLE, IT 'TOSSES' ALL THE POWER TO THAT WHEEL AND ACCELERATES. THESE DRIVEWAYS HAVE A SMALL LIP AT THE EDGE. THIS SENSOR REACTED TO IT IN A WAY THAT CAUSED MY CAR TO CRASH. THE CAR WAS TOTALED AND THE TOWNHOUSES ACROSS THE STREET DAMAGED. THANK HEAVEN THERE WAS NO ONE OUTSIDE OR THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED, RECALLED AND CHANGED.
MY CAR SUDDENLY MADE A BIG CLUNK NOISE AND I WAS WARNED OF A POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION. I HAVE ALSO BEEN WARNED MULTIPLE TIMES THAT DUE TO A MALFUNCTION THE 'SAFETY SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN DISABLED', ANOTHER ISSUE IN HAVING IS A HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION. WHEN THE HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION OCCURS THE DIGITAL SPEEDOMETER GETS VERY DARK AND I AM UNABLE TO TELL HOW FAST I AM GOING. THERE IS NO WAY TO TURN THE BRIGHTNESS UP TO SEE THE SPEEDOMETER AGAIN UNTIL THE ERROR CODE GOES AWAY. MAZDA TOLD ME I MUST LEAVE MY WINDOWS DOWN WHEN THE CAR IS IN A HOT CLIMATE TO PREVENT IT FROM OVERHEATING WHILE NOT IN USE...I LIVE IN OHIO SO THE WEATHER IS NOT EXTREMELY HARSH. I'VE TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY HAVE NOT FIXED ANY OF THE ISSUES. I CALLED MAZDA CORPORATE AND WAS TOLD 'WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DO ABOUT IT' I WAS TOLD MY ISSUES HAD NO REMEDY. THE CORPORATE CALL CENTER WOULD NOT PUT ME THROUGH TO ANYONE ELSE FOR FURTHER HELP. I FEEL UNSAFE IN MY VEHICLE AND IT'S NOT EVEN OVER 8500 MILES YET.
ON JUNE 6, 2019 AT ABOUT 6:45PM WHILE DRIVING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON THE TRANSITION FROM THE 241 FWY TO THE 91 FWY I RECEIVED AN ERROR ON MY DASH (ATTACHMENT 1) THREE TIMES WITHIN ABOUT 10 MINS "PUSH BUTTON START MALFUNCTION"" THE CAR DID NOT STOP, OVER HEAT OR MALFUNCTION IN SUCH A WAY TO PREVENT ME FROM DRIVING TO MY DESTINATION, WHICH WAS 15 MILES AWAY ON JUNE 7, 2019 ON MY WAY TO WORK TRAVELING AT ABOUT 65 MILES AN HOUR ON THE 5 FWY AT ABOUT 10 AM IN THE MORNING WITH THERE BEING NO VEHICLES AROUND THE CAR THE CAR DID AN EMERGENCY BREAK I KNOW THIS FROM THE DASH DISPLAY WHICH SHOWED A BRIGHT RED CIRCLE WITH THE WARNING THAT THE EMERGENCY BREAKING SYSTEM WAS ENGAGED I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER THAT WAS CLOSE TO MY WORK LOCATION WITHIN 1 HOUR OF THE EVENT
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