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: power train
3 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Mar 13, 2026
Transmission failure when driving. Car was towed to dealership and diagnosed. Transmission and torque converter replacement required under factory warranty. Very long lead time for dealer to acquire replacement parts, about 4 months.
Power train, Mar 27, 2023
Cars lurches/jerks at low speeds when shifting 1-2 gears and sometimes rpm bounces up and down when downshifting.
Power train, Mar 22, 2023
On three occasions thus far when the vehicle was started and placed in drive the transmission slipped terribly, the engine rpms would race when pressing the accelerator and the vehicle would move at no more than a few MPH. The problem is intermittent but can be inspected. The problem has occurred on public roads when stopped at a light or stop sign and I was unable to move forward again after stopping. The problem was reproduced by the dealer. The dealer had the vehicle for 29 days for repair attempts and returned it to me one day before my states lemon law would have been triggered. There were several vehicle malfunction warnings displayed on the dash 10 to 15 minutes after the vehicle failed to move under its own power. I also purchased an OBDII code reader after the initial vehicle failure and was able to read transmission error codes on subsequent failures.