2006 Mazda MAZDA3
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Steering is the leading concern among 166 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 6th highest complaint count among 22 MAZDA3 model years with reports.
Of the 2006 reports, 21 involved a crash and 3 involved a fire. 15 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, frontalJul 1, 2021
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2004-2007 Mazda3 vehicles. During air bag deployment, the plastic emblem on the steering wheel air bag module cover may shatter, and project plastic fragments into the vehicle.
Plastic fragments can hit occupants during air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the air bag module cover, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed between August 28, 2021 and October 28, 2021. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 4921G.
Campaign 21V494000 on NHTSA.gov
EquipmentApr 2, 2009
THULE, INC. IS RECALLING 2,323 OWNER-INSTALLED ROOF-MOUNTED FIT KITS, MODELS 3068 AND 3069, MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 2008 AND FEBRUARY 28, 2009 THAT ARE USED WITH THULE PODIUM FOOT PACKS, MODELS 460 AND 460R. THESE FIT KITS WERE SOLD AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE BOLT(S) USED TO SECURE THE FOOT TO THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED TO A HARDNESS THAT MAY CAUSE THE BOLT(S) TO BE BRITTLE AND POTENTIALLY BREAK UNDER STRESS.
THIS MAY RESULT IN THE BOLT(S) SNAPPING OFF DURING USE OR WITHOUT A LOAD. THE UNSECURED RACK AND LOAD CAN THEN COME LOOSE WHILE DRIVING CREATING A POTENTIAL ROAD HAZARD, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
THULE WILL MAIL A RETRO FIT KIT ALONG WITH REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS TO OWNERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE APRIL 13, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THULE TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-238-2388.
Campaign 09E011000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: service brakes
14 reports, newest first. Show all
Suspension, Structure, Service brakes, Feb 22, 2023
Im having issues with rust the car it’s getting pretty much the car it’s falling apart the under body it’s nothing but rust I’m scared of changing a tire because there’s actually not a good grip where I can lift the car without feeling it’s going to fall apart, the rear or the disks it’s falling by chunks and just yesterday the rear shock plate broke out of place because it’s way too rust same thing with my muffler I don’t feel safe I’m My car which I love, I truly do but I feel like at any minute its just going to break apart right now it’s the shock rear driver side but I feel like next a tire or my brake disks are going to break like I said I don’t even feel safe to change a tire
Wheels, Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Jul 24, 2020
I HAVE, HAD (2), TWO BRAND NEW SET, OF TIRES FROM FIRESTONE PUT ON THIS CAR. I WAS ALSO TOLD ONLY THOSE TWO SETS CAN ONLY BE PUT ON THIS MAZDA 3. THE CAR KEEP BUCKING ON EVERY STREET AND EVERY ROAD. EVERY DAY AND EVENING.
Service brakes, Apr 25, 2017, crash
APPROACHING A REDLIGHT AT A HIGHWAY INTERSECTION, MY SON PRESSED HIS FOOT DOWN ON ON THE BRAKE AND THE BRAKES FAILED. THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND DID NOT WORK AT ALL AND RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT THAT DESTROYED THE CAR AND INJURED THE OCCUPANTS OF THE CAR HE STRUCK. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED USED. THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD THE BRAKES COMPLETELY REPAIRED WHEN THE SAME THING HAD HAPPENED WHILE BRAKING. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE SPECIFICS OF THE BRAKE REPAIR UNTIL AFTER THE ACCIDENT WHEN I INQUIRED AS TO WHY HE HAD REPLACED THE BRAKE BOOSTER PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE. INTERNET SEARCHES AFTER THE ACCIDENT SEEMED TO INDICATE THAT THIS HAPPENED WITH SOME FREQUENCY TO OTHERS AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I LET SOMEONE KNOW.
Power train, Service brakes, Engine, May 26, 2016
MY CAR IDLES REALLY ROUGH. ONCE I GET CLOSE TO FREEWAY SPEED MY CAR CONSTANTLY SHIFTS GEARS FROM 3 TO 4 TO 3, SO ON. THIS CAUSES MY CAR TO JERK, IT REVS FROM 3,000 TO 1,000 AND EVEYTHING IN BETWEEN. DURING THIS MY BRAKES BECOME PRACTICALLY USELESS, I HAVE TO COMPLETELY PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL TO MAKE IT DECELERATE. AND BRAKING DISTANCES ARE DRASTICALLY INCREASED. IT FURTHER WORRIES ME THAT I DONT HAVE ANY DASH LIGHTS ON SUCH AS CHECK ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, ABS, ETC.
Service brakes, Aug 28, 2014
TOTAL FAILURE OF BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER CAUSED LOSS OF SERVICE BRAKES AT ALL WHEELS. NO PRIOR INDICATION OF BRAKE ISSUES BEFORE TOTAL LOSS OF FUNCTIONALITY. VEHICLE BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL USING MECHANICAL EMERGENCY BRAKE. REPLACED WITH AFTERMARKET MASTER CYLINDER - EXTREMELY POOR BRAKE FUNCTION AT PRESENT, BUT VEHICLE STILL IN USE WITH DIFFICULTY. *TR
Service brakes, Oct 8, 2013
DRIVING AT 35 MPH BRAKES GAVE OUT. BRAKES NEEDED TO BE PUMPED JUST TO STOP AND HAD 8 YEAR OLD CHILD IN THE CAR. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID BRAKE BOOSTER WAS BAD AND WOULD COST $625 TO FIX. FOUND ON-LINE ON FORUMS THAT MAZDA BRAKE BOOSTERS GO OUT AT ABOUT 50K MILES. VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVER AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD. HAVE OWNED 6 VEHICLES OF DIFFERENT MAKES AND NEVER HAD ANYTHING FAIL ON SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART FOR DRIVER SAFETY. *TR
Steering, Service brakes, Engine, Nov 9, 2012
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MAZDA MAZDA3. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE BRAKES WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE IN A PARKING AREA AND AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING AND BRAKES RESPONDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
Service brakes, Oct 21, 2012
REAR BRAKE CALIPER SEIZED AND HEATED OVERHEATED. THE BRAKE PADS STARTED TO SMOKE AS WELL. *TR
Service brakes, Electric, Feb 7, 2011
MY 2006 MAZDA 3I SEEMS TO HAVE AN ISSUE WHEN STOPPING THE FIRST TIME AFTER THE CAR HAS SIT IN THE DRIVEWAY FOR 1 DAY OR MORE. WHEN IT SNOWS OR RAINS OUT AND I DRIVE MY CAR AFTER SITTING IN THESE CONDITIONS, APPROACHING MY FIRST INTERSECTION WHICH IS ABOUT 100 YARDS FROM MY HOUSE, I HAVE NO BREAKING ACTION. THERE SEEMS TO BE PRESSURE BECAUSE THE BREAK PEDAL DOES NOT GO TO THE FLOOR, HOWEVER THEY DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AND I HAVE TO USE THE EMERGENCY BREAK TO STOP. USUALLY ITS TOO LATE AND I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION OR EVEN THROUGH IT. THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM BECAUSE THIS HAPPENS INFREQUENTLY AND IT IS HARD TO REMEMBER THAT "IF MY CAR SAT FOR 1 OR MORE DAYS AND IF IT RAINED OR IF IT SNOWED, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STOP. I HAVE FOUND NOTHING ONLINE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT WANTED OTHERS TO KNOW IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. *LN
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Power train, Nov 24, 2008, crash
LAST WEEK, AFTER CLIPPING AND GOING OVER A 2 INCH CURB WITH MY LEFT WHEEL TO AVOID ANOTHER CAR IN A PARKING LOT, MY 2006 MAZDA M3 ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. APPLYING THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. IN THE END, I SWIPED TWO CARS AND HIT A CEMENT WALL HEAD ON. THIS STOPPED THE CAR AND THANKFULLY I AM ALIVE. HAVE YOU HEARD OF ANY MALFUNCTIONS OF THIS KIND AND HOW DO I GET IT ESCALATED TO MAZDA OR OTHERS TO ENSURE CORRECTIVE ACTION? UPDATED 02/02/09. *LJ
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Sep 9, 2008
2006 MAZDA 3 HAS AN ISSUE WITH THE SPACE AND HEIGHT BETWEEN THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE ACCELERATOR. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE WAS AT A STOP LIGHT, HE INADVERTENTLY HIT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO LUNGE FORWARD AND REAR END ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED HE ONLY TAPPED THE OTHER VEHICLES BUMPER. *JB
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Oct 29, 2007
MY 2006 MAZDA 3 IS EXPERIENCING GREATLY ACCELERATED REAR BRAKE PAD AND ROTOR WEAR, BOTH REQUIRING REPLACEMENT BY 38K MILES. THIS IS AT LEAST 3X FASTER WEAR THAN NORMAL. FRONT BRAKES SHOW LITTLE WEAR AND LOOK TO LAST UP TO 100K MILES. COULD THIS PROBLEM BE THE RESULT OF IMPROPER FRONT/REAR BRAKE BIAS OR DEFECTIVE PARTS/MATERIALS? COULD THIS SITUATION LEAD TO IMPROPER/UNSAFE BRAKING PERFORMANCE UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS? *TR
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Tires, Sep 11, 2006
THE DAY AFTER PURCHASE OF MY 2006 MAZDA3 I WAS BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY, THE REAR BRAKES WERE GRINDING. THEY WERE GRINDING SO LOUD I COULD HEAR THEM OVER THE RADIO ON LEVEL 2 IN VOLUME. I SHOULD NOT HEAR THEM AT ALL!! I HAD UNDER 30 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THE GENTLEMAN I SPOKE WITH TOLD ME THIS IS VERY COMMON , THAT ALL DO IT. I AM SORRY , I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD BE HAPPENING, I HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE THAT HAS DONE THAT UNLESS THE BRAKE PADS, AND ROTORS DIDN'T NEED REPLACED. NOW, 2 MONTHS LATER, THE BRAKES ARE STILL DOING IT, AND SEEM TO BE EVEN LOUDER WITH A SMALL SQUEAK ADDED IN. *JB
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Sep 4, 2006
MY 2004 MAZDA 3 IS EXPERIENCING GREATLY ACCELERATED REAR BRAKE PAD AND ROTOR WEAR, BOTH REQUIRING REPLACEMENT BY 32K MILES. THIS IS AT LEAST 3X FASTER WEAR THAN NORMAL. FRONT BRAKES SHOW LITTLE WEAR AND LOOK TO LAST UP TO 100K MILES. DEALERSHIP SAYS THIS IS NORMAL, INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS SAY NOT. MANY '04 AND '05 MAZDA 3 OWNERS ARE REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEM. COULD THIS PROBLEM BE THE RESULT OF IMPROPER FRONT/REAR BRAKE BIAS OR DEFECTIVE PARTS/MATERIALS? COULD THIS SITUATION LEAD TO IMPROPER/UNSAFE BRAKING PERFORMANCE UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS? *NM