NHTSA recalls, safety ratings, and consumer complaints for the 2017 Mazda Mazda3.
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| Frontal Crash | |
| Side Crash | |
| Rollover |
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| Frontal Crash |
Component: VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
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.
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.
Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The 2017 Mazda Mazda3 has 2 NHTSA recalls and 83 consumer complaints on file. It received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA crash testing. The high number of complaints suggests potential reliability concerns — review the complaint details above before purchasing. For the most detailed information about a specific vehicle, decode its VIN using our free decoder above.
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| Side Crash |
| Rollover |
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
The vehicle's touch screen for radio/nav/vehicle settings has delaminated which causes the display to detect "touches" that are a result of the delamination. This can result in navigation exiting, radio changing audio levels, and a myriad of other things like turning on/off vehicle safety settings. This was a known issue on the previous models and a short web-search has found that many others with this generation mazda has the same issue.
Hello frustrated people! Second time back to the dealership...backup camera they say got wet from moisture, (after 2 drained batteries in less than 2 years), my cost. I think that this is a very dangerous vehicle that I am driving now!!!! Besides the fact, at my age, being stuck in a parking lot in 20 degree weather for 3 hours waiting for roadside assistance. The camera goes haywire...I cannot connect to the phone or navigation system. I can't leave my house for fear that my car is not going to start! Now I have to pay for a backup camera??? WE think that is the problem, they told me! So far the quote is $600.00...... A DANGER to drive! Can you imagine , pulling off the side of the road, when your navigation goes out! And now warmer weather, it doesnt do that. So how are they going to know now????
Malfunctioning on and off on the display screen. My battery went dead after 11 months. Cause? It started over a year ago, but I called Mazda and they said there were no recalls at that time. Are there any now to date? Thank you for your time.
My 2017 Mazda Mazda3 Sport is affected by a problem widely known as "ghost touch" by owners of this vehicle. This issue causes the touch screen to behave erratically and activate random functions, which is extremely distracting while driving. Mazda has a recall on a similar issue for the 2014-2016 Mazda3, but it refuses to fix this obviously widespread issue for the 2017 and later models.
The touchscreen for the infotainment area is ghost touching and changing information. This turn off information like lane change assist changes the volume of the blinker as well as randomly calls people. This is highly disruptive and distracting while driving. There has been many instances when I have had to pull off the road to try to avoid major issues because of this. When it is selecting things it’s self I am not able to use the touch screen at all. It is also selecting things when I am driving over 5mph when the screen is not supposed to be engaged at all.
The infotainment system is malfunctioning. It constantly restarts/reboots while I am driving and it is highly distracting. I contacted Mazda USA about this, but they responded by saying there are not active recalls for this car and the car isn't under warranty. I took it to a dealership and they quoted me $1450 for repairs. However, a problem such as this should not be occuring for a car that isn't too old. It is highly distracting and it is endagering me while I am driving, putting my and drivers on the roads' safety at risk. Mazda should fix this issue and pay for all repairs in full.
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