2020 Mazda MAZDA3

Typical pattern

3.9% of complaints about the 2020 Mazda MAZDA3 came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2020 vehicle — around the middle of the 178 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 2.6 yr in service. The most-reported system is collision avoidance (24 complaints), typically at 2.5 yr or about 9,706 miles.

Complaints: 51
Median age at failure: 2.6 yr
Median mileage: 9,000 n=8
Crash / fire / tow: 0% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

20V346000 2020-06-12

Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2020 CX-30 and Mazda3 vehicles. The front brake caliper mounting bolts may not have been tightened properly during assembly, possibly allowing the calipers to loosen.

Loose brake calipers can reduce braking performance or interfere with wheel rotation, affecting vehicle handling. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.

19V907000 2019-12-19

Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Mazda3 vehicles. The Smart Brake System (SBS) can falsely detect an obstacle while driving, activating the automatic emergency braking system and suddenly stopping the vehicle.

Stopping the vehicle unexpectedly increases the risk of a crash.

In owners’ own words

Collision avoidance 9,706 mi 1.5 yr in service

I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE STRAIGHT AHEAD ON A TWO-WAY CITY STREET WITH NO OTHER VEHICLES IN FRONT OR ON MY SIDES. I WAS TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF 40 MPH. THE TWO-WAY STREET IS SEPARATED BY A CONCRETE DIVIDER AND TROLLY TRACKS. A "BRAKE!" ALERT APPEARED ON THE DISPLAY SCREEN FOLLOWED BY BEEPS. SUDDENLY THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP CAUSING THE VEHICLE BEHIND TO COME TO A SCREECHING HALT. IN A FEW SECONDS I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE OFF.

Collision avoidance 9,706 mi 1.5 yr in service

I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE STRAIGHT AHEAD ON A TWO-WAY CITY STREET WITH NO OTHER VEHICLES IN FRONT OR ON MY SIDES. I WAS TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF 40 MPH. THE TWO-WAY STREET IS SEPARATED BY A CONCRETE DIVIDER AND TROLLY TRACKS. A "BRAKE!" ALERT APPEARED ON THE DISPLAY SCREEN FOLLOWED BY BEEPS. SUDDENLY THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP CAUSING THE VEHICLE BEHIND TO COME TO A SCREECHING HALT. IN A FEW SECONDS I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE OFF.

Collision avoidance 1,600 mi 1.5 yr in service

THIS CAR IS ONLY A FEW MONTHS OLD, WITH ONLY 1600 MILES. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX 30 OR 40 MPH THE SMART BRAKE SYSTEM (SBS) FALSELY DETECTS RANDOMLY AN OBSTACLE WHILE DRIVING, ACTIVATING THE AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY WARNING LIGHT AND ALARM. THE MAZDA DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR REPAIR THE PROBLEM ALTHOUGH THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED NUMEROUS TIMES AND WAS PART OF AN EARLIER RECALL. I.E.MAZDA RECALL NUMBER 4219L

Other MAZDA3 model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2020 Mazda MAZDA3

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other MAZDA3 model years

How to read this