2023 Mazda MAZDA3
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 12 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 21st highest complaint count among 22 MAZDA3 model years with reports.
Of the 2023 reports, 3 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 1 person was injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
No safety recalls on file.
Representative owner complaints: forward collision avoidance
2 reports, newest first. Show all
Forward collision avoidance, Jan 23, 2025
The active braking support feature of this vehicle falsely warns me of an imminent collision. It happens pretty often, the system is obviously not quite smart enough. Last week, while accelerating away from a stop light in moderately heavy traffic, the active braking system APPLIED THE BRAKES in a panic manner, causing the vehicle to almost come to a complete stop, and I missed being rear-ended by the car behind me by inches. There appears to be no method to permanently deactivate this "safety" feature. I can turn it off through a series of menus in the infotainment system, but each time I start the car the system turns itself back on again.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, May 18, 2023, crash
Automatic emergency braking suddenly engaged while driving on the highway. The car decelerated abruptly to a complete stop, causing the driver behind to rear-end me. There were no vehicles or obstacles in front of the car when the brakes engaged - the closest car was at least 100 feet in front of me. This collision was clearly the result of a faulty automatic emergency braking system. I do not feel safe driving the car knowing this malfunction could happen again, especially at highway speeds. Sudden unexplained braking presents a huge safety hazard to all drivers, increasing the likelihood for collisions and injuries. There were no warnings or symptoms prior to the unexpected brake system activation. After the brakes activated mistakenly, warning beeps and “BRAKE!” message appeared. Car has collision damage and has not yet been inspected by dealer. Police report filed.