2012 Mazda MAZDA3 problems
Owners have filed 328 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Mazda MAZDA3. Drivetrain & axles is the most reported problem area, at 12% of complaints. After that come engine (11%) and lighting (9%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 328 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Drivetrain & axles 12% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 12 and 1
- Injuries and deaths
- 5 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 37,000 miles 260 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 | 86 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 53 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 51 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 21 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 27 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 12 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 5 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 3 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 260 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 37,000 miles. For drivetrain & axles specifically, the median reported mileage is about 20,000 miles (36 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 12 complaints mention a crash; 1 complaint mentions a fire; 5 injuries reported. Its complaints are less severe on average than those of 87% 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 2012 ranks 3rd most-complained-about out of 19 model years of the Mazda MAZDA3 with enough data (213 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 1 safety recall campaign.
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.
Was involved in an accident in april 2017 hit from the back and push into another vehicle the airbags did not deploy but the light came on and was flashing every since then. We were sitting still at a stop when we got rear ended and push into another vehicle.
I was coming up on a car waiting to make a left turn. While attempting to move to the right-hand passing lane, five lights lit up and the power steering went out. The five lights were "Power Steering Malfunction Indicator Light", "TSC/DSC Off Indicator Light", "Security Light", "ABS Warning Light", and "Seatbelt Warning Light" (even though my seat belt was on and buckled). Realizing I could not turn in time, I attempted to stop instead and could not stop in time to avoid striking the other vehicle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 mazda mazda3. The contact stated that when driving approximately 5 MPH and pulling into her driveway the accelerator pedal got jammed and as a result the contact crashed into her garage. The driver sustained injuries to her upper back and neck. The police were not contacted. The dealer was later contacted and they offered no assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who they advised her that they would look into the issue.
While traveling approximately 35 - 40 MPH (accelerating) on a long winding wooded rural interstate onramp, no other vehicle traffic nearby, the sunroof (closed at the time) literally buckled upward and exploded outward. It was very loud like a shotgun. At the time it happened, it gave both myself and my daughter the impression that someone had fired a gun at us and we did not stop until we reached the next exit. We were very rattled by the incident.
I purchased my 2012 mazda 3 one year ago (2017). I first noticed the issue about a month after owning my car. I turned on my air conditioner at first low, then all the way up, it felt slightly cool, but only as if my fans were blowing and nowhere near what an air conditioner should properly feel like. This was after letting the car warm up, and driving on back roads or highways as well as when parked. I brought the car back and the technician had some trouble figuring out how to fix it.