2021 Mazda MAZDA3
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 52 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 17th highest complaint count among 22 MAZDA3 model years with reports.
Of the 2021 reports, 2 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 1 person was injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Tires, valveFeb 22, 2021
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2021 Mazda3 and CX-30 vehicles. Air may suddenly leak from the tire air valve.
A sudden air leak from the tire air valve may cause a loss of vehicle control while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace all four tire air valves with new parts, free of charge. The recall began April 6, 2021. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 4721B.
Campaign 21V101000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
19 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Sep 28, 2026
Low engine oil message appeared on dash. Had car towed to Mazda. Had valve stem seals replaced under warranty.
Engine, Apr 23, 2025
Spontaneous loss of power while driving on highway. Check engine light came on. Speed limited by car. Continues to vibrate especially at idle from cold start. Code P0304 intermittently popping up.
Engine, Feb 21, 2025
The thermostat malfunctioned on this vehicle, resulting in the thermostat remaining open and providing excess coolant to the engine, which in turn damaged internal components of the engine (compromises safety), decreased fuel economy, increased emissions (compromised safety), and decreased the life of the engine within the vehicle. It is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle has been inspected by an independent mechanic and will be inspected by the Mazda dealership in 7 days. There were no prior warnings until the engine malfunction notice appeared, the vehicle began to make jolts and stuttering sounds, and the temperature gauge within the vehicle failed to rise to optimal range. As this occurred while the vehicle was in use (safety concern), though I was pushing the gas there would be delayed response due to improper temperature, which increased the risk for an accident to occur.
Engine, Dec 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of an unknown Class Action Lawsuit Number however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Engine, Sep 21, 2024
Low oil light - car is burning oil and only has 11,400 miles. Approx 3/4 to 1 quart missing...
Engine, Jun 19, 2024
Driving on a remote highway in northern WI and low oil light illuminated, 1000 miles before oil change was due with less than 10k miles on the vehicle. Made it to a gas station and oil was a quart low. Vehicle burns over a quart every oil change interval, since this has been occurring since day 1 it is likely going to cause premature engine failure which would be a safety issue.
Engine, Apr 6, 2023
Received Low Oil Level warning ... checked engine oil and it is under the minimum level on the dip stick. Car has only 11,725 miles
Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 2, 2023
Experiencing a known excessive oil consumption issue. Low engine oil warning light came on and upon checking, oil was low. This occured at 4000 to 4200 miles. It occured again about 4000 miles later and again at a similar interval. I notified the dealer and scheduled a repair date but I am concerned of other possible damage that may have already occured due to this issue. An oxygen sensor needs to be replaced and is most likely due to the engine malfunction. The cause of the consumption is said to be damage to the valve seals on the exhaust side.
Structure, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 2, 2023
Car emits a very audible squeak when shifting right above 30mph and 40mph, car surges at lower and constant speeds, tach will slowly drop when applying throttle, surge slightly, then function as normal again
Engine, Nov 13, 2022
Purchased car in January 2020 and within a month/few thousand miles the low engine oil light came on. Almost two years later car continues to burn excessive oil triggering low engine oil light. Dealer doesn’t acknowledge an issue, Mazda still doesn’t have a repair. Owners required to pay for excess servicing until a repair is issued. This is a widespread problem impacting the engine.
Engine, Nov 5, 2022
Turbo using/burning oil- Consumption issue.
Engine, Oct 11, 2022
Oil light has come one twice within 17,000 miles of owner ship. The first time at 4,800 miles and the second at 17,529 miles, the most recent was only 3,500 miles since the last oil change.
Engine, Sep 19, 2022
After roughly 2,000 miles of driving, the low oil light comes on. The engine is burning oil. Mazda has issued a TSB on it, but they have taken no action to fix the issue. Right now they just top off the oil.
Engine, Aug 22, 2022
The engine is burning oil. Oil and filter were changed at 5000 miles. At about 9000 miles, the engine oil level light came on. Topped off with oil and took to dealer, they confirmed no oil leaks and changed the oil.
Engine, Aug 2, 2022
At around 3600 Miles my Mazda which I had for only a couple of months displayed a low engine oil light which required a visit to the dealership.This was under normal driving conditions.
Engine, Jul 1, 2022
My Mazda 3 2.5T has been burning oil in excess. The car has a total of 24,000 miles and has been serviced 3 times. I have had to add oil in between every service. The oil has been completely burned off by 4,000-5,000 miles. I have noticed that other people have been posting about the same issues online. When talking to the dealership they state that they have noticed this issue with the 2.5T’s but offer no fix and seem to overfill the engine oil to try and compensate.
Engine, Jun 29, 2022
Excess oil consumption in engine. Low light came on around 5,000 miles and dipstick showed engine oil was at the minimum mark.
Engine, Jun 27, 2022
Engine is consuming excessive oil. Dealership states there is a TSB out but the fix is to keep topping the oil off. I would like an investigation to determine the root cause of the oil consumption on a new engine.
Engine, May 29, 2022
Low engine oil warning between oil changes. Burned 3+ quarts between 5000 mile and 10,000 mile service.