2011 Mazda Mazda3 problems and complaints
Owners have filed 132 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Mazda Mazda3. The most-reported areas: Air Bags (29), Seats (20), Unknown Or Other (18).
Key takeaways
- 132 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 12 involve a crash, 2 a fire, 13 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 29 | 22% |
| Seats | 20 | 15% |
| Unknown Or Other | 18 | 14% |
| Electrical System | 15 | 11% |
| Steering | 13 | 10% |
| Structure | 13 | 10% |
| Power Train | 12 | 9% |
| Exterior Lighting | 10 | 8% |
| Suspension | 7 | 5% |
| Tires | 7 | 5% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 5 | 4% |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 4% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 Mazda Mazda3 5 HB FWD | 4/5 | 5/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 |
| 2011 Mazda Mazda3 4 DR FWD | 4/5 | 5/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Air Bags,seats - filed 2026-07-16
The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front driver’s side seat wobbled and was unsecured. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who determined that the front driver’s side seat lifter link was inoperable and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet rep...
Air Bags - filed 2026-01-28
The airbag system failed to deploy during a major accident I was in, where my car rolled multiple times, and the collision that totaled my car. This includes the front airbags, impact sensors, and/or the airbag control module not activating. The vehicle is currently in the possession of the insurance company and can be...
Unknown Or Other - filed 2025-11-24
I was driving it and randomly the AT and TC , and check engine light came on and the car went into limp mode, after doing some research it appears to happen to all 2009-2011 Mazda3's and it's a safety hazard. It's a safety hazard because of when it's stuck in limp mode sometimes if your at a light or something it'll st...
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More for the 2011 Mazda Mazda3
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.