2018 Mazda MAZDA3
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 108 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 12th highest complaint count among 22 MAZDA3 model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 6 involved a crash. 5 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Back over prevention, sensing system, cameraJul 14, 2023
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Mazda3 and 2016-2021 CX-3 vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display properly by showing a flickering or distorted image.
A rearview camera that does not display properly can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera, as necessary. In addition, dealers will install a wiring harness fastening seal. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed September 13, 2023. Final owner letters for affected models and model years in the states of CT, MA, MD, NJ, NY, PA and VA were mailed August 14, 2024. The remaining owner notification letters will be mailed at a future date, anticipated on or before May 1, 2025. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 6023G.
Campaign 23V487000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpNov 12, 2021
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3, Mazda6, 2019 CX-3, 2018-2019 MX-5, CX-5, CX-9, and 2019-2020 Mazda2 vehicles. The impeller inside the low-pressure fuel pump may crack and deform, potentially causing the fuel pump to fail.
Fuel pump failure may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the fuel pumps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 18, 2022. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 5321K.
Campaign 21V875000 on NHTSA.gov
Visibility, windshield wiper/washerApr 4, 2019
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Mazda3 vehicles. A defective windshield wiper relay may cause the windshield wipers to become inoperative, reducing the driver's visibility.
Reduced visibility while driving can increase the risk of crash.
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front body control module with a new module which uses an improved wiper relay design, free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3219D.
Campaign 19V272000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, exhaust systemNov 21, 2017
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3 vehicles, equipped with an incorrect exhaust valve spring. The incorrect exhaust valve spring may fail while driving, potentially causing an engine stall.
An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engines and replace any incorrect exhaust valve springs, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 20, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1717K.
Campaign 17V745000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: back over prevention
15 reports, newest first. Show all
Back over prevention, Jun 13, 2025
I got into my car and the infotainment screen was cracked. It had been parked in moderate weather (no extreme heat or cold) and just randomly had multiple small cracks across the screen. This makes the back up camera difficult to see which is a safety concern.
Back over prevention, Mar 12, 2025
The Infotainment system is cracking uncontrollably and will make the rear view camera unusable and a safety issue. Mazda corporation wont pay for the repair that they are charging close to 2k to do.
Back over prevention, Oct 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while reversing, the rearview camera image was flickering and occasionally failed to display an image. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times. The dealer recommended that the rearview camera be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Back over prevention, Sep 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while reversing, the camera was flickering on and off and the camera was fuzzy. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Back over prevention, Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that on several occasions while in reverse (R), the backup camera flickered and was inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Back over prevention, Aug 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while shifted into reverse(R) and reversing out of the driveway, the rearview camera image was flickering on the display screen. The contact stated that the flickering was intermittent but eventually the camera became inoperable. The contact had notified the manufacturer of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Back over prevention, Aug 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while reversing, the rearview camera image was distorted and failed to display on several occasions. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rearview camera had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Back over prevention, Jul 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Electrical system, Lane departure, Back over prevention, Jul 18, 2024, crash
In 2023, the reverse camera would either flicker or completely shut off (displaying a blank screen) while the reverse gear is engaged. While reversing the vehicle to park onto the property the rear camera image failed to display in the vehicle, leading to a collision with the curb. The limited visibility out of the rear windshield for the Mazda 3 leads to a typical driver relying on the camera display to show obstructions not visible through the rear and side mirrors. This failure lead to the car impacting the curb and the passenger being shocked that the car was in an accident. If that was child or small animal, they would have been hit or run over. Luckily, this failure only resulted in property damage, a large dent in the bumper, and possible exhaust damage (see attached). A recall notice for this known Mazda camera issue was sent out in the mail by the manufacturer at the end of 2023. Mazda failed to address the issue when inquired over the phone, instead stating they "Would be in contact once a solution was found." Mazda did not reach out or notify me at any point with a solution until the incident above occurred. After contacting Mazda by phone to address the issue, they said there is still no solution found but to take the vehicle down for a diagnostic test that would be the owner's responsibility to pay for if it was found to be a "owner issue". After a brief discussion and multiple phone calls, Mazda stated they would make the repair as it was confirmed to be a Mazda issue that had just been solved. However, the car would need to be kept over the weekend and a loaner vehicle would be provided. Mazda also stated the collision was a driver issue and Mazda will not be responsible for anything that occurs while using the vehicle. At that point, the dealership was unwilling to assist me and I left. This seems to be a Mazda originating issue, if the rear camera functioned as intended, the curb would have been visible and the impact could have been avoided.
Back over prevention, Jul 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced the failure causing the display screen to intermittently malfunction and no image was displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 32,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Back over prevention, Apr 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the back over prevention camera was flickering and distorted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on two occasions. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Back over prevention, Apr 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention). The local dealer was made aware of the issue and an appointment was scheduled to have the vehicle serviced. The contact arrived for the appointment but was informed a few hours later that parts for the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Electrical system, Lane departure, Back over prevention, Apr 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the parking brake light illuminated, and the vehicle decelerated and was losing motive power. The contact pressed the parking brake button off and on and the warning light stopped, and the contact was able to drive normally. Additionally, the contact stated that in other instances the forward sensing camera and the lane departure systems were also independently engaging. The contact stated that it was difficult to maintain the lane she was driving in. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred at various speeds. The contact drove the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and flashed the Powertrain Control Module (PCM). The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failures reoccurred and the battery short-circuited. The contact had taken the vehicle to a non-manufacturer dealer who used a handheld scanner and retrieved the following codes: C1001 Type 97, U3003, and B13D3. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 31,321. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Back over prevention, Apr 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not contacted due to the local dealer going out of business. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that a second notice would be mailed when the part to do the recall repair was available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Back over prevention, Oct 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the camera image was distorted and occasionally would not display an image. The failure mileage was 40,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.