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
108 reports, newest first.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 27, 2024
I was parked in a downtown garage, and the vehicle would not start after many attempts, after about 45 minutes of trying (waiting 5 minutes between tries). The engine would turn normally and sounded like it was trying to start, but didn't fully engage. It finally did after 45 mins, and I drove it to the local Mazda dealer in Honolulu. I noticed the check-engine light was on at that time (but not before the incident). They ran a diagnosis, and couldn't replicate the issue, and said it may be a battery problem with low voltage, due to the engine's error codes. But I questioned that since the engine was able to turn normally and adequately at all starting attempts. And the battery was only 2 years old. So I replaced the battery at their recommendation. About 2 hours after picking up the car from the dealer, the same issue happened again. I recorded the issue on my phone this time, and gave it to the dealer. And this time I didn't want to chance it, so had the car towed back to the same dealer. They couldn't replicate the issue immediately, but after several attempts (over a day), they finally experienced it. They said the issue is the fuel pump. I am the original owner, and had purchased the car new from a Mazda dealership, and it has less than 26K miles on it. I researched previous recalls with this same issue on Mazdas, even the same year and model, and it appears to related: [XXX] [XXX] No one was physically harmed due to this issue, but it was certainly a safety risk. If the fuel pump fails while driving, the driver could lose control of the vehicle while in motion. I have attached the invoices for the repairs. I have contacted Mazda Customer Experience and they assigned a case number # [XXX]. However, I was informed that the repairs are unlikely to be covered as there is no open recall on the VIN regarding this issue. Thank you. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 30, 2024
The wipers randomly stopped working. No matter which wiper setting was chosen, the windshield wipers would not activate. I took my car to the nearest Mazda dealer and they fixed it by replacing the Body Control Module.
Other or unspecified, Aug 21, 2024
I was officially notified of a known defect in my vehicle "which relates to motor vehicle safey". The defect is the "rearview camera wiring harness" which displays a "distorted or flickering image". My vehicle is experiencing this defect. The letter was sent to me in September 2023. The letter stated that repair parts are not currently available. I have checked and repair parts are STILL not available, even though it is now August 2024, almost a full year later. This is unacceptable as this is a safety concern.
Electrical system, Aug 20, 2024
Mazda issued a recall for backup camera failures on specific vehicles over 1 year ago on July 14 2023 (Mazda Recall 6023G, NHTSA #23V-487). According to Mazda dealerships I contacted, parts are still not available. Drivers impacted have been waiting for repair components related to this safety recall for over a year. Simply submitting this as a complaint about an ongoing recall resolution.
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.
Electrical system, Aug 10, 2024
The touchscreen has started to exhibit similar issues as seen in previous recalls for the Mazdas. Commonly known as "ghost touch," the screen receives erroneous inputs, causing settings to change or unwanted functionality to start/stop. Depending on the active screen, the system will exhibit different behavior. In my case, the discoloration is directly at the 6 o'clock position. Whatever application button is there is the one that will be triggered. On a Bluetooth connection, that is the random button. On the AM or FM application, that is the seek button. On the settings menu, that could be any number of important things, including safety systems' settings including the ability to disable traction control. You can see on the display where it has been overheated and is discolored. This is the same location that the "ghost touches" occur. It is intermittent, but occurs more frequently as the unit heats up or after the car warms in an parking lot.
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.
Other or unspecified, Jul 31, 2024
The infotainment screen in this vehicle has internally delaminated causing a well-known "ghosting" problem that causes random buttons to be pressed (without touching the screen) while driving, including volume changes. This results in the system randomly choosing radio stations and turning the volume up to high levels suddenly, distracting the driver and making the screen unusable. Mazda repairs 2014-2016 model year vehicles with this issue under an extended warranty but refuses to do so for 2017+ models.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jul 30, 2024
The contact’s sister owns a 2018 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The contact also stated that while attempting to depress the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with a defective fuel pump. The vehicle was repaired, and the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V875000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.
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.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jul 17, 2024
The radio has a ghost touch that continues to beep and change noise levels without being able to control the radio. This is distracting and is a danger to have this occur while trying to focus on driving.
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.
Other or unspecified, Jul 8, 2024
Over a year later and Mazda is not fulfilling an existing recall despite continuing to pump out new cars: Manufacturer Recall Number6023G NHTSA Recall Number23V-487
Other or unspecified, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 9, 2024
The car just didn't want to turn on with the key and completely stopped
Electrical system, Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Jun 8, 2024
The collision warning light and lane assistance light come on frequently. It used to just be when the weather was under 40 degrees and the car was cold. However, it now happens all the time. It seems to go on and off for no reason. Additionally, the infotainment system keeps switching radio stations or ghosting without anyone touching it. It also drops Bluetooth connectivity constantly.
Electrical system, Jun 3, 2024
The screen/head unit in my car is registering ghost touches. Basically the screen thinks it's being touched even though it isn't. This causes much distraction and hinders the use of the screen because if I try to actual use the head unit, the ghost touch overrides my input which makes it unusable.
Electrical system, May 29, 2024
Safety Recall 6023G - NHTSA Campaign Number 23V-487. The car was purchased in 2018. On 5/29/2024 the backup camera view has gone black, providing no image. Since I've owned this car, the backup camera view appears, sometimes flickers, and now, has gone completely black, only to "pop" on randomly. I have asked the local Mazda dealer on multiple occasions, since purchasing the car, if it can be repaired/replaced, but am told parts are not available or that there is no "start date" on file. The mechanic has done something to that camera system when the car gets an oil change, and the problem goes away, only to return.
Electrical system, May 22, 2024
I have seen the problem online called ghosting or ghost control. The infotainment system changes station, settings, selected input or anything else it randomly selects on its own and this is occurring while driving the vehicle.
Electrical system, May 20, 2024
I was driving in the rain on the freeway and my wiper stopped working on 12/27/2022. Dealership diagnosed the issue that it was caused by the front body control module with an internal relay failure. The cause was exactly the same as the recall campaign #3219D after my research. However, the original recall did not cover my vehicle even though my vehicle's model year is exactly the same as stated in the recall campaign. I had to pay out of pocket to repair this issue at the dealership ($663.34) and went back and forth with Mazda's customer service and they could not do anything because my VIN does not match the original recall. The vehicle was repaired on January 2023 but I was not aware that I could file a complaint here on NHTSA. My file number with Mazda Corporation was - 00069514 In below, I have attached: - the screenshot of my dashcam, right after the wiper failed while I was on the freeway. - A PDF of the recall campaign #3219D - an invoice and description of the repair from the dealership File that I could not attach due to the limitation: - a detailed video of the dealership technician, they recorded and showed what my vehicle's issue was.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, May 16, 2024
The infotainment system randomly mutes and unmutes Bluetooth calls; it switches radio stations, skips, and repeats on Spotify and through the settings. It's like the daily turns itself, even though no one touches it. It's startling to have it happen while you're driving, and suddenly, the display starts doing all sorts of crazy changes on its own.
Wheels, May 16, 2024
The TPMS light goes off when traveling over 50 MPH, indicating low air pressure on one or more tires. I pulled over, assuming I had a flat; upon visual inspection, everything looked normal. I drove to the nearest air station, checked all four tires, had the proper psi, and reset the TPMS; the light turned off. Then, 10 minutes into the drive, the TPMS light turned on again. I verified again that all tires had the recommended air pressure.
Engine and engine cooling, May 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the abnormal sound would increase. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who listened to the engine and ended up removing pistons from the engine. The mechanic discovered there was an abnormal sound in cylinder #3 which caused the mechanic to remove the spark plugs. The contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V745000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.