2009 Mazda MAZDA3 problems
Owners have filed 140 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Mazda MAZDA3. Steering is the most reported problem area, at 26% of complaints. After that come tires (19%) and wheels (14%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 140 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Steering 26% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 13 and 1
- Injuries and deaths
- 5 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 36,000 miles 116 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 | 34 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 30 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 24 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 12 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 11 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 2 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 3 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 116 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 36,000 miles. For steering specifically, the median reported mileage is about 33,000 miles (34 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 13 complaints mention a crash; 1 complaint mentions a fire; 5 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2009 ranks 7th most-complained-about out of 19 model years of the Mazda MAZDA3 with enough data (112 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 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.
Tl*the contact owns a 2009 mazda 3. While driving approximately 5 MPH a tractor trailer driving 45 MPH crashed into the front driver side of his vehicle. The vehicle was completely destroyed, and none of the air bags deployed. The police and ambulance were notified. The driver was transported to the hospital and sustained severe injuries. The vehicle was towed to a collision facility. The failure and current mileages were 29,700.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 mazda mazda3. The contact stated that the driver was traveling 60 MPH when the vehicle crashed into another vehicle head on. The air bags failed to deploy. The crash caused head injuries to the driver. The police were contacted and a report was on file. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and the manufacturer was contacted. The failure and current mileages were 38,000.
I was merging onto interstate 69 from center road in flint, michigan on december 22, 2012 at approximately 11:30 a.m. There was a vehicle in front of me merging at the same time. That vehicle merged in front of a jeep and I merged behind it. The driver of the jeep stated the vehicle merging in front of him cut him off causing him to brake hard and swerve into center lane to avoid a crash. I braked hard to avoid rear-ending the jeep.
The power steering cuts out while driving and the electricity for the car cuts out for a second or two and then it comes back on. This happens frequently when turning the steering wheel.
The contact owns a 2009 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a puddle of fuel on the ground underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that previously there was an abnormally strong odor inside the vehicle and in the trunk. In addition, the contact stated that the odor was very strong, causing her to become light-headed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.