Mazda3 Reliability: Best and Worst Years

The Mazda3 is a compact car that replaced the Protege as Mazda's compact model for the 2004 model year. It has been sold as a sedan and a five-door hatchback, with front-wheel drive and, in its fourth generation, optional all-wheel drive. Mazda also sold a turbocharged Mazdaspeed3 hatchback in North America until 2013. This page lines up every Mazda3 model year from 2010 to 2024 on one scale, so you can see which years drew unusual numbers of owner reports and which stayed quiet.

Why these years stand out

2010: most complaints. The 2010 Mazda3 scored 645 complaints per 100,000 sold, 3.7 times the model average. Of its 686 complaints, 71 involve the engine or transmission, and the parts named most often are structure (115), seats (106) and visibility/wiper (100). NHTSA lists 3 recalls for this model year and 1 defect investigation.

2020, 2022 and 2023: fewest complaints. The 2020 drew 32 complaints, or 95 per 100,000 sold; The 2022 drew 24 complaints, or 86 per 100,000 sold; The 2023 drew 12 complaints, or 39 per 100,000 sold. These years have been on the road at least three years, which gives owners time to report problems, so a low count means something.

What Mazda3 owners report most

Visibility, lights and locks complaints lead for the Mazda3, at 15% of all complaints for 2010-2024. Engine and transmission reports together make up 17%. One complaint can name more than one system, so the bars can add up to more than the total.

When problems are reported: mileage

1,164 Mazda3 complaints list the odometer reading at the time of the problem. 53% were reported before 50,000 miles and 15% after 100,000. The reports are spread across the mileage range rather than bunched at one point.

Mazda3 compared with other small cars

In 12 of 15 model years the Mazda3 drew fewer complaints per 100,000 sold than the average small car we track for the same year. For 2024, the Mazda3 scored 31 against a class average of 48. The class average only uses models with clean, published sales figures.

Mazda3 generations

• 2005-2009
  First generation

  2.0L four; 2.3L four; 2.3L turbo four (Mazdaspeed3) · 5-speed manual; 6-speed manual (Mazdaspeed3); 4-speed and 5-speed automatics

  This generation was sold in North America for the 2004 to 2009 model years.

• 2010-2013
  Second generation

  2.0L four; 2.5L four; 2.0L Skyactiv four (2012-2013); 2.3L turbo four (Mazdaspeed3) · 5-speed and 6-speed manuals; 5-speed and 6-speed automatics

  The 2012 update introduced the first Skyactiv engine and transmissions in the Mazda3.

• 2014-2018
  Third generation

  2.0L four; 2.5L four · 6-speed manual; 6-speed automatic

  This generation used Skyactiv engines throughout and had no Mazdaspeed3 version.

• 2019-2024
  Fourth generation

  2.5L four; 2.5L turbo four (2021 on) · 6-speed automatic; 6-speed manual

  This generation offered all-wheel drive for the first time in the U.S. and Canada.

A turbocharged 2.5L engine became available for the 2021 model year with standard all-wheel drive. The fourth generation debuted in the U.S. in March 2019, and the 2.0L engine sold in Canada was not offered in the U.S.

Mazda3 fuel economy

The 2026 Mazda3 is rated at 26 to 30 MPG combined by the EPA, depending on the version. Every year and engine will be on its own MPG page.

Crash test stars

NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave the Mazda3 these overall ratings (out of 5) for the model years it tested: 2011: 4, 2012: 4, 2013: 4, 2014: 5, 2015: 5, 2016: 5, 2017: 5, 2018: 5, 2020: 5, 2021: 5, 2022: 5, 2023: 5, 2024: 5. Ratings can differ between body styles and drive types of the same year.

Questions