2011 Mazda MAZDA3
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Air bags is the leading concern among 132 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 8th highest complaint count among 22 MAZDA3 model years with reports.
Of the 2011 reports, 12 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 13 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
SeatsFeb 9, 2017
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2011 Mazda2 and 2010-2011 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles equipped with a manual seat lifter. In the affected vehicles, the seat height adjustment lifter links may break or detach from the seat frame and the seat angle may incline causing the driver to not be able to maintain an appropriate driving position.
If the driver cannot maintain an appropriate driving position, there is an increased risk of a crash.
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat lifter links and install a reinforcement bracket to the lifter links, or replace the entire seat adjuster unit, free of charge. The recall began April 7, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 0917B.
Campaign 17V082000 on NHTSA.gov
Structure, body, hatchback/liftgateSep 6, 2016
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles manufactured November 18, 2008, to June 8, 2013, 2012-2015 Mazda5 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2010, to June 22, 2015, 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 26, 2015, and 2013-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured December 15, 2011, to December 26, 2015. On the affected vehicles, the lift gate support struts may corrode, possibly causing the struts to break and/or the lift gate to drop unexpectedly.
If the lift gate falls unexpectedly, it may hit the user, increasing their risk of injury.
Mazda dealers will replace the both lift gate supports, free of charge, however parts are not currently available. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9916H.
Campaign 16V644000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: exterior lighting
10 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Sep 14, 2021
my Mazda 3 2011 passenger headlight always had water coming into the headlight itself. It has condensation and it is hard to see when using the headlight itself at night. have to wait a few days or so to clear up and then my headlights will flicker because of the water seeping inside of it.
Exterior lighting, Air bags, Other or unspecified, Oct 8, 2020
PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT WILL GO ON AND OFF WITH NOBODY IN THE SEAT. THIS HAPPENS RANDOMLY AND NOT CONSISTENTLY. SOMETIMES WHILE STATIONARY, SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING. THE DASHBOARD HAS COME APART FROM THE CENTER PIECE ON THE DASH WITH THE DIGITAL DISPLAY. CAR WAS PURCHASED IN TEXAS IN 2013, DROVE TO MAINE IN 2015 AND DRIVEN TO VIRGINIA SINCE 2018. PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE REAR VIEW MIRROR HAS STRANGE BROWN MARKS INSIDE THE MIRROR MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE. OWNER DOES NOT SMOKE. STRANGE CLUNKY NOISE FROM REAR SUSPENSION, NOT CONSISTENT VERY RANDOM. SMOOTH ROAD, BUMPY ROAD, FAST OR SLOW, THE SOUND JUST RANDOMLY HAPPENS FROM TIME TO TIME. HEADLIGHTS FORM MOISTURE, OWNER BOUGHT NEW HEADLIGHTS WITH MECHANIC INSTALL AND THEY STARTED TO COLLECT MOISTURE ABOUT A YEAR AFTER INSTALLATION. OWNER OF VEHICLE SINCE 2013 TO PRESENT. VEHICLE PURCHASED AT APPROX 60K MILES, CURRENTLY APPROX 130K MILES.
Exterior lighting, Dec 30, 2019
MECHANIC'S REPORT 12/28/2019: "RIGHT FRONT (PASSENGER SIDE) HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAS MAJOR MOISTURE CONTAMINATION. HID CONTROLLER FAILURE DUE TO MOISTURE; HID BULB OUT. REPAIR EST. $1,500 - $2,000." MY 2011 MAZDA 3 MILEAGE IS 36,915. I WILL TAKE THIS TO MAZDA SERVICE DEPT. ON 1/2/2020 FOR EVALUTAION. THEIR REPAIR EST. ON PHONE WAS $2,000+ - PARTS ONLY. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM REPORTED ONLINE BY MANY OWNERS OF THIS MAKE AND YEAR. CLEARLY THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT ISSUE. ONE THAT HAS CAUSED ACCIDENTS AT NIGHT. (I FIRST NOTICED MOISTURE SOMETIME AFTER A DRIVE-THRU CAR WASH 3 MONTHS AGO.)
Exterior lighting, Service brakes, Feb 1, 2018
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA MAZDA3. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE REAR BRAKE STOP LAMPS ILLUMINATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBLE FAILURE DUE TO THE ABS MALFUNCTION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR BRAKE STOP LAMPS WERE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Dec 6, 2017
THE FRONT LIGHTS SEEM TO BUILD CONDENSATION AND CUT DOWN ON THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT THAT IS EMITTED FROM THEM AT NIGHT, LEADING TO A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. IT ALSO AFFECTS THE TURN SIGNALS AND CAN LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC ELECTRONIC FAILURE THAT COSTS OVER $1,000 TO FIX THAT MAZDA CLAIMS IS NOT COVERED BY THEIR FACTORY WARRANTY. THIS HAS BECOME A HUGE PROBLEM AND ONE QUICK SEARCH ON THE INTERNET TURNS UP HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE, ISSUE A RECALL IN ORDER TO FIX THE AFFECTED UNITS AND FORCE MAZDA'S HAND TO LAY THE COST BURDEN ON THEM AND NOT THE CUSTOMER AS IT IS COMPLETELY ON THEIR MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES THAT DO NOT PROVIDE A PROPER SEAL AROUND THE LIGHTING THAT ALLOWS THIS TO OCCUR. DEALERSHIP SALESMEN ARE SCHOOLED TO TELL CUSTOMERS THAT IT WILL "BURN OFF" AS THE LIGHTS ARE ON LONGER AND ITS NOT ANYTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, WHEN REALLY IT CAN LEAD TO SOME SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE LEADING TO DANGEROUS SAFETY HAZARDS AT NIGHT.
Exterior lighting, Structure, Nov 1, 2016
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA 3. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED WATER IN THE PASSENGER SIDE HEAD LAMP. AS A RESULT, THE HEAD LAMP FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEAD LAMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V644000 (STRUCTURE). THE PART NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Structure, Oct 7, 2016
PASSENGER HEADLAMP GETTING EXCESSIVE CONDENSTATION BUILD UP AFTER CAR WASH OR RAIN STORM EVENTUALLY CAUSES HID BULB AND BALLAST FAILURE DUE TO SHORT CAUSED BY WATER INGRESS. HOUSING HAS BEEN CHANGED AND STILL LEAKS IN ALMOST EXACT SAME PATTERN AS OLD HOUSING. THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT AS IT AFFECTS MY ABILITY TO SAFELY, AND LEGALLY DRIVE MY CAR IN LOW OR NO LIGHT CONDITIONS AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.
Exterior lighting, Air bags, Jun 17, 2016
1) AFTER MOVING THE EMPTY PASSENGER SEAT BACK A FEW INCHES AT A RED LIGHT, PASSENGER AIRBAG DEACTIVATION LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON DASH AND HAS REMAINED ON EVER SINCE. AT THE SAME TIME, THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BEGAN FLASHING A CODE 16. THERE ARE NO VISIBLE LOOSE WIRES OR CONNECTIONS UNDER THE SEAT. 2) CONDENSATION APPEARING IN DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY.
Exterior lighting, May 17, 2016
HEADLIGHT SEAL FAILURE; WATER CONDENSATION IN THE HEADLIGHT (PASSENGER SIDE). OCCURS AFTER A CAR WASH, A DRIVE IN THE RAIN, DRIZZLE OR DOWNPOUR IN HIGHWAY OR CITY. ROAD ILLUMINATION DIMINISHED FROM WATER CONDENSATION.
Exterior lighting, Apr 2, 2016
VEHICLE HEADLIGHT FAILED DUE TO FAULTY SEAL ALLOWING MOISTURE TO ENTER THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. I BROUGHT THE HEADLIGHT INTO THE DEALER WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY WHEN I NOTICED MOISTURE IN THE HEADLIGHT BUT BEFORE IT FAILED. MY CLAIM WAS DENIED STATING THAT IT WAS A COSMETIC ISSUE. NOW THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT COSTS SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO CORRECT. RESEARCH ONLINE INDICATES MANY OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR WARRANTY CLAIM AVOIDANCE AND FAILED HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES.