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Engine coolingPart report

2006 Mazda MAZDA3 Engine cooling Problems

Complaints
17about this part
Share
10%of 166 total for the year
Median mileage
41,000miles
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 17 complaints about the engine cooling of the 2006 Mazda MAZDA3, 10% of the 166 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 41,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“I first noticed that my clutch was not coming back all the way after changing gears. I was able to use the top of my foot to lift the clutch up without difficulty and it would pop back up. I immediately called the Mazda dealership which, I was currently about 2 miles from. I explained what happened and they said to make an appointment in the morning. I drove home about 3 miles. The next day I called to make an appointment. …”

NHTSA complaint #10423149, filed 2011-09, 41,640 miles

“Was driving on the street and all of the sudden white smoke started to come out of the engine that smelled like rubber. The air conditioner was also making a loud noise. I pulled over and shut everything off. Called the dealer who walked me through and we verified it was the air conditioner clutch that broke off. No warning lights on the dash or anything. Ac is now unusable until its fixed. Glad it didn't catch on fire, we pulled over immediately when it happened. Now I have to get it fixed, $1200+.”

NHTSA complaint #10568036, filed 2014-03, 115,000 miles

“I bought the car new from tracy Mazda in june of 2006. In april of 2008 I started hearing a slight ticking noise coming from the engine. This was shortly after the last oil change which was done by speedee oil changers. The mileage was 25,675, 4/18/08, when speedee changed the oil and it was 26,402, 4/25/08,when I took the car into tracy Mazda so they could check on the ticking noise. The service department finally got back to me several days later and said it sounds like a rod knock from cyl #1. …”

NHTSA complaint #10236664, filed 2008-08, 26,402 miles

“My daughter was driving a 2006 Mazda 3 hatchback on willow street, long beach, ca yesterday afternoon around 4 pm, the engine suddenly stopped and she turned the car into a parking lot. She opened the hood and found out the engine was leant toward front about 45 degree. She did not go through any bumps on the road, just driving on normal streets. We checked on google and discovered the broken engine mounts have been the major cause of such kind of prolbems. Lots of complaints came from the owners who drove less than 20,000 miles. …”

NHTSA complaint #10329700, filed 2010-05, 22,000 miles

“Took the car into dealer for normal scheduled maintenance (oil change/tire rotation). Told that the #3 engine mount is cracked and needs to be replaced. Service advisor tells me that it is a general occurrence and that he sees 1-2 a week with cracked/broken #3 engine mounts. Mazda headquarters says that it is normal wear/tear on the car and will not cover the engine mount, even through a goodwill account, saying it is my responsibility because it is out of warranty. Service advisor says that these engine mounts should not be breaking and are not normal wear/tear. …”

NHTSA complaint #10348209, filed 2010-08, 85,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Engine cooling: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
201822%
201411%
201242%
201122%
201091%
200911%
2008103%
200784%
20061710%
20051920%
20041712%

Other parts of the 2006 Mazda MAZDA3

Steering
28 complaintsAir bags
27 complaintsElectrical system
21 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
21 complaintsEngine
17 complaintsBrakes
14 complaintsSuspension
14 complaintsTires
14 complaintsBody and structure
12 complaintsOther or unknown
9 complaintsVehicle speed control
7 complaintsEquipment
4 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2006 Mazda MAZDA3

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.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology