2005 Mazda MAZDA3 problems
Owners have filed 127 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Mazda MAZDA3. Air bags is the most reported problem area, at 20% of complaints. After that come engine (15%) and electrical system (13%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 127 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 20% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 25 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 20 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 67,000 miles 103 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 6 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 18 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 17 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 24 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 4 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 9 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 10 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 2 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 7 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 4 |
| 200k+ miles | 2 |
What the data shows
Among the 103 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 67,000 miles. For air bags specifically, the median reported mileage is about 70,000 miles (21 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 25 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 20 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 90% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2005 ranks 16th most-complained-about out of 19 model years of the Mazda MAZDA3 with enough data (69 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Vehicle invloved into highway collision during wet conditions. Was struck by toyota tacoma after the tacoma had spun out. Initial impact was driver side fender corner causing the vehicle to spin out, as it spun out , vehicle was struck 3 more times, by the out of control tacoma, on the passenger side rear door, front door and fender. Rear passenger door caved in , panel assembly was pushed in , window shattered, bench seat dislodged. Not one of the airbags deployed during any of the 4 impacts.
On february 15, 2015. I was involved in a minor car accident with my girlfriend. My left rear door was hit but the air bags did not deployed. I though nothing of it because I though the impact needed to be harder. This was my first car accident. Today on september 5, 2015 around 2:20pm, I was involved in another car accident with my girlfriend. I was at a complete stop waiting for some vehicles to turn. 5 seconds later, I was hit from the back. The impact was very hard sending my girlfriend and I to the hospital.
We were in a few accidents and the airbag never deployed and the transmission is not functioning properly after an oil change the car does not stay in park we must use the emergency brake and cannot turn off the car because when we turn it off the gear will not shift to drive and as we drive the car the car will turn off right there. Seatbelt stopped working on driver side.
Mazda 3 internal sensors getting stuck at mileage from 35k to 95k mazda and giving message at in dashboard. If u reset the computer the car works fine again for a couple of miles until at message appears. When u take the mazda to the mazda center they tell you the whole transmission is bad, but if u take it to a transmission dealer they say is reverse solenoid or first solenoid cus of the codes.
I developed a tick in the engine, took to dealer who diagnosed " the shutter valve inside the intake manifold was coming apart". Took it to another independent mazda repair shop and was told "the valve is actually just stuck open". Both shops quoted a $1500 repair bill. This should not happen to a car that is only 5 1/2 years old. You can't just replace the plastic shutter valve, you have to replace the entire intake manifold (that part costs $1000).