Mazda CX-3 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 106 consumer complaints across the 4 model years of the Mazda CX-3 (2016–2019) that have at least 5 complaints. 2016 has the most, with 48. Across all years, the part named most often is electrical system (24 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All CX-3 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 27 | 11,250 | 2 | 449 | Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years) | Rising |
| 2018 | 10 | 17,520 | 1 | 477 | — | Not enough data |
| 2017 | 21 | 37,225 | 1 | 519 | — | Stable |
| 2016 | 48 | 20,000 | 3 | 658 | Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years) | Rising |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Electrical system24 23%
- Fuel system20 19%
- Other or unknown17 16%
- Exterior lighting10 9.5%
- Engine10 9.5%
- Back-over prevention (rear camera)10 9.5%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)8 7.6%
- Vehicle speed control6 5.7%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2018: “I was in a parking ramp, I rounded the corner going up and was pulling into a parking spot, my foot was on the break, and the car accelerated. I lurched forward into a wall of the ramp. It wasn't raining so pavement and ramp were not wet. The dealer has looked at the car, said they saw break and gas pedal active at the same time. They said nothing was wrong with the car.”
NHTSA complaint #11123896, filed 2018-08, 12,600 miles2019: “Front windshield cracked from top of car nothing hit it looks like stress crack. Mazda says no and no problems with there windows. 5 weeks later and no one can get me windshield because 400 backorderd and Mazda has hold on them.so I have a broken window on a new car that I cannot get fixed lucky som far no tickets. They know they have a problem but are keeping it a secret”
NHTSA complaint #11142684, filed 2018-10, 1,000 miles2016: “I turned into a parking spot and was slowing down .everything seemed normal when suddenly the car sped up into a wooded area. The car shot into the trees. With my foot on the brake I tried to stop it but it just kept going. The car stopped when it hit a tree. I turned off the ignition and realized that my foot was on the brake and the gear shift was in park.”
NHTSA complaint #10903247, filed 2016-09, 7,500 milesOther Mazda models
3,125 complaintsMazda MAZDA3
2,991 complaintsMazda CX-5
2,469 complaintsMazda MAZDA6
2,232 complaintsMazda Tribute
2,098 complaintsMazda CX-9
1,493 complaintsMazda CX-7
1,133 complaintsMazda Protege
1,074 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology