Owner complaints
83NHTSA recordsUSED VEHICLE RESEARCH
2017 Mazda Mazda3
Is This A Good Car? organizes available NHTSA-derived research for the 2017 Mazda Mazda3. This page includes owner complaint records, safety recall campaigns, manufacturer communications, defect investigations, and information about the completeness of the available evidence.
DATA CONFIDENCE: ModerateMazda Mazda32017 · VERIFIED IMAGE PENDING
Recall campaigns
2Year, make and model lookupManufacturer communications
0Matched NHTSA recordsInvestigations
0Matched NHTSA recordsEVIDENCE AVAILABILITY — NOT VEHICLE RELIABILITY
DATA CONFIDENCE
ModerateData Confidence measures how much usable evidence CarIQ has for this vehicle. It does not measure how reliable the vehicle is.
Why this rating?
- Owner complaint data
- Available
- Manufacturer communications
- Available
- Recall data
- Available
- Investigation data
- Available
- Production denominator
- Unavailable
- Complaint component completeness
- 100%
- Mileage completeness
- 0%
- Incident-date completeness
- 100%
DESCRIPTIVE ANALYTICS
DATA INSIGHTS
Derived from official NHTSA source records. These statistics are descriptive and are not a reliability score.
- Complaint records analyzed
- 83 NHTSA complaints
- Most reported component
- Unknown or Other 33% of categorized complaint records
- Top-three component concentration
- 59% Records mentioning at least one top-three component
- Median reported incident mileage
- Not available from current source 0 valid mileage observations
- Recall campaigns
- 2 NHTSA recalls
- Most recent recall report
- July 14, 2023 NHTSA recalls
- Manufacturer communications
- 0 NHTSA manufacturer communications
- Most documented component
- Not available NHTSA manufacturer communications
- Top-three communication concentration
- Not available Share of categorized manufacturer communications
SOURCE COMPLETENESS
DATA QUALITY
- Complaint records analyzed
- 83
- Component classification available
- 100%
- Incident date available
- 100%
- Mileage available
- 0%
- Structured outcome fields available
- 100%
Completeness describes fields present in the retrieved complaint records. It is not a data-quality grade or a vehicle assessment.
Learn about CarIQ methodologyPRODUCTION-ADJUSTED DESCRIPTIVE METRIC
NORMALIZED COMPLAINT CONTEXT
Production-normalized complaint data is not currently available for this vehicle.
This metric compares the number of NHTSA owner complaint records retrieved by CarIQ with NHTSA-reported production volume for the corresponding vehicle population.
It is not a vehicle failure rate. Complaint reporting behavior, vehicle age, time on the road, production definitions, and other factors can affect the result.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Early Warning Reporting, Light Vehicle Production Data. Read the methodology.
OFFICIAL NHTSA OWNER COMPLAINT DATA
OWNER-REPORTED COMPLAINTS
COMPONENT CATEGORIES
A complaint may list more than one component and therefore contribute to multiple categories. Percentages show the share of categorized complaint records that mention each component—not the percentage of vehicles affected. Category percentages may overlap.
INCIDENT REPORTS BY YEAR
Grouped from complaint records with a valid incident date.
RECENT OWNER COMPLAINTS
Exterior Lighting
Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11731744Read complaint narrative
Many modern trucks, SUVs, and cars use LED headlights that are excessively bright and create dangerous glare. When approaching these vehicles from the opposite direction, the headlights can be blinding — similar to having a flashlight shined directly into your eyes — causing temporary loss of visibility. The glare also affects drivers traveling in the same direction, as the intense light reflects sharply off rear‑view and side mirrors. This creates a persistent distraction and makes it difficult to maintain safe awareness of the road. This issue is widespread across many vehicle types and appears to be related to the brightness and mounting height of LED headlights, especially on larger vehicles. It poses a significant safety hazard and should be investigated as a systemic lighting problem.
Fuel/propulsion System
Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11686763Read complaint narrative
Anytime the tank was filled with gas there was a strong smell of gasoline vapors that persisted for several days. The car was a few months past its warranty on emissions issues and so I was charged about $1500 to replace a cracked fuel pump and fuel vent that was stuck open. The mechanic also said that the check engine light should have warned me about the problem but that neither the dashboard light nor his diagnostic equipment was triggered by the defect. He suspects the car's computer is programmed to avoid drawing attention to the problem. Had the light been working I would likely have caught the problem while it was still under warranty.
Electrical System
Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11676786Read complaint narrative
Repeated instances of the Mazda Infotainment system making changes randomly without any user input while driving. Repeated instances of the navigation system freezing, going black, rebooting while driving.
Unknown or Other
Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11676190Read complaint narrative
The original OEM radio in my Mazda has been experiencing persistent ghost touch issues, making it incredibly frustrating to use. The screen often registers inputs without me touching it, leading to random changes in volume, station selections, and menu navigation. As a result, I find myself unable to rely on my radio for music or navigation, which significantly detracts from my driving experience. I’m considering possible solutions, but for now, it's an inconvenience that I can't overlook.
Unknown or Other
Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11674432Read complaint narrative
1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? -> Infotainment display has "ghost touch" issue. Infotainment starts acting up on its own without driver input. It changes radio station automatically, places a call randomly, disconnects call randomly. This is caused by the touchscreen digitizer, the display lens of poor quality which leads to webbing or cracking on the inside. This leads to loss of touch and ghost touch issue 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? -> It is distracting to the driver when the radio station is switch automatically. It sometimes freaks me out. When the infotainment places call to someone back to back, I need to keep disconnecting the call manually. It creates an unsafe environment for the driver. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? -> Yes, the issue is acknowledged by the dealer, but refused to fix it. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? -> No. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? -> No. There is no warning. It appeared 2 years ago with mild discolored screen, then it lead to webbing/cracks on the inside
Unknown or Other
Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11671873Read complaint narrative
The screen that displays the backup camera image has an issue that makes it difficult to see the backup camera feed clearly. The screen appeared like this unexpectedly when I returned to my car after a work day. The only warning was a malfunction of the screen's touch function for the last several months.
Unknown or Other
Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11666760Read complaint narrative
The infotainment screen in my Mazda 3 will act as if buttons are being pressed without buttons actually being pressed. It a distraction and unsafe. I've noticed that other Mazdas had issues with this as well and were given extended warranties to fix this problem. Why not the 2017 Mazda 3? I talked to a mechanic about fixing it and it's very expensive yet it's a widespread Mazda problem. Someone is going to crash because of this.
Unknown or Other · Service Brakes · Forward Collision Avoidance
Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11665128Read complaint narrative
I made a right turn onto a gravel driveway that has a slight incline. My speed was less than 10 mph. At the top of the incline I attempted to make a U turn so I could park the car. Midway through the U turn the car's acceleration increased rapidly to high speed without my stepping on the accelerator. I pressed the brake 3 times. The brake pedal went to the floor without seemingly any effect. In seconds the car traveled across the front lawn, picked up concrete from and old cistern top and smashed into the front porch tearing it off it's foundation. Portions of the porch and tree limb fell shortly after the impact. The front tire was spinning at a rapid rate when I exited the vehicle. Extraction of the vehicle was not accomplished for 2 weeks while experts determined how best to accomplish the extraction. The car insurance company and 2 towing businesses declared the vehicle a total loss. The vehicle is with the towing company per car insurance company request. I don't know if it has been inspected. I did not see any warning lights. I was treated at the hospital for a slight concussion and significant head and facial bruising and lacerations as well as a wrist burn likely caused by air bag deployment.
NHTSA complaints are reports submitted by vehicle owners and other consumers. Complaint counts do not represent the percentage of vehicles affected and do not by themselves establish that a safety defect exists.
A higher complaint count can partly reflect how many vehicles were sold, vehicle age, and other factors. CarIQ does not yet normalize complaint counts by vehicles sold.
Data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This site is not endorsed by NHTSA.
OFFICIAL NHTSA MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION DATA
MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATIONS
No NHTSA manufacturer communication records were returned for this year, make, and model.
Manufacturer communications include service bulletins and other technical information submitted by manufacturers to NHTSA. The existence or number of communications does not establish how often a condition occurs or whether an individual vehicle will experience it.
Some manufacturers may issue more detailed service documentation than others, so communication counts should not be used alone to compare vehicle reliability.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration manufacturer communicationsNATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION
NHTSA DEFECT INVESTIGATIONS
No applicable NHTSA defect investigation records were returned for this year, make, and model.
NHTSA investigations evaluate potential motor-vehicle safety defects. The existence of an investigation does not by itself establish that a safety defect exists, and the absence of an investigation does not establish that a vehicle is problem-free.
Open and closed describe NHTSA's process status, not a CarIQ reliability judgment.
View official NHTSA investigation data ↗DESCRIPTIVE SOURCE OVERLAP
CROSS-SOURCE VEHICLE DATA
CarIQ compares categories appearing across independent NHTSA datasets. Overlap can help identify areas with more available documentation, but it does not establish defect frequency or prove that an individual vehicle will experience a problem.
| Component | Owner complaints | Manufacturer communications | Recall campaigns | NHTSA investigations | Official sources containing records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown or Other | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
| Electrical System | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
| Back Over Prevention | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
| Engine | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
| Visibility/wiper | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
| Structure | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
| Power Train | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
Displayed first by the number of source categories containing the component, then by owner complaint count, then alphabetically. This is a presentation rule, not a vehicle ranking. Complaint reports, manufacturer communications, recalls, and investigations describe different events and are never added into a combined total.
- complaint
- Available
- communication
- Available
- recall
- Available
- investigation
- Available
- production
- Unavailable
OFFICIAL NHTSA SAFETY RECALL DATA
SAFETY RECALLS
2 recall campaigns found
01BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERACampaign 23V487000July 14, 2023
Summary
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Mazda3 and 2016-2021 CX-3 vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display properly by showing a flickering or distorted image.
Safety Consequence
A rearview camera that does not display properly can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera, as necessary. In addition, dealers will install a wiring harness fastening seal. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed September 13, 2023. Final owner letters for affected models and model years in the states of CT, MA, MD, NJ, NY, PA and VA were mailed August 14, 2024. The remaining owner notification letters will be mailed at a future date, anticipated on or before May 1, 2025. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 6023G.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
02VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHERCampaign 19V272000April 4, 2019
Summary
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Mazda3 vehicles. A defective windshield wiper relay may cause the windshield wipers to become inoperative, reducing the driver's visibility.
Safety Consequence
Reduced visibility while driving can increase the risk of crash.
Remedy
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front body control module with a new module which uses an improved wiper relay design, free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3219D.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Recall results shown here are based on year, make, and model. A specific vehicle may or may not be affected. Check the vehicle's VIN with NHTSA to confirm open recalls before purchasing. Data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
CONSIDERING BUYING ONE?
RESEARCH YOUR CANDIDATE
Enter the candidate's mileage and asking price to organize Is This A Good Car?'s available evidence. No buy/no-buy or pricing judgment is produced. Open the full research tool.