2013 Mazda MAZDA3 Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 18about this part
- Share
- 15%of 117 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 28,535miles
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 18 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2013 Mazda MAZDA3, 15% of the 117 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 28,535 miles.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“My Mazda 3 sedan with a 6 mt has an issue while coasting in 4th gear between 25-40 MPH and accelerating up hill that the gear will jump into neutral without depression of the clutch. There is no grinding or other odd noises other than the shifter snapping out of gear. This happens often enough that I have begun to skip the gear entirely.”
NHTSA complaint #11377553, filed 2020-12, 60,000 miles“I had warmed up my car for approx. 5 minutes on 1/1/2017, drove approximately 10 miles to a nearby city, and turned onto a city street driving 30 MPH. I arrived at a turn onto another city street, completed the turn, and as I began to accelerate, my vehicle felt as if it had shifted into neutral on its own. As I pressed the accelerator, the rpms would rise but the vehicle was only coasting down the street. …”
NHTSA complaint #10939013, filed 2017-01, 38,100 miles“My new 2013 MAZDA3 with only 3660 miles failed on a busy highway. First, the engine made a loud noise every time I shifted gears (manual shift.) then, I could not change gears at all, and the engine failed----I just barely got it to the shoulder before it quit entirely. The dealer says the clutch needs to be replaced. I've had the car less than 6 months.”
NHTSA complaint #10543517, filed 2013-09, 3,660 miles“I started the car and the check engine light came on. Shifted into gear the at light came on. Brought it in for service and they need to replace the trans valvebody . Looks like a recurring theme here. The car is a 2013 MAZDA3 I grand touring hatchback that is only about 7 months old and has less than 7000 miles.”
NHTSA complaint #10567736, filed 2014-03, 6,500 miles“My car suddenly shifted into neutral and would not shift out of it. I coasted to a stop, stopped the car, waited a bit, then restarted. It went about half a mile and the same thing happened. The dealer said it's a faulty transmission valve body (and I was told it's a known issue, but didn't see anything here or on Mazda's website). I was very lucky to have just gotten off the freeway before this happened.”
NHTSA complaint #10552879, filed 2013-11, 1,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11032103Apr 21, 2026This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA listed below: The changes are noted in Red. SA-011/24 02/12/24, 06/06/24, 07/29/24 DESCRIPTION Mazda has developed factory…
- 11009654Oct 24, 2024The SKYACTIV-DRIVE FW6A-EL AT uses “Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) Type: FZ”. Only use “ATF-FZ” to fill or top off the fluid level. ATF-FZ is specially designed for use in…
- 11007010Aug 7, 2024Some customer's might state that they notice fluid or oil leaking/dripping on the ground when the vehicle is parked. For this concern, inspect the vehicle for any trace of a…
- 10251387Feb 12, 2024Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as…
- 10237199May 17, 2023Some vehicles may experience the check engine light and automatic transaxle warning light ON with one or more of these DTCs stored in the TCM memory (P0842, P0847, P0872, P0877…
- 10225767Oct 17, 2022The new SKYACTIV-DRIVE FW6A-EL AT uses "Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) Type: FZ". Only use "ATF-FZ" to fill or top off the fluid level. ATF-FZ is specially designed for use…
- 10215238Jun 7, 2022Service part Automatic Transaxles (ATX) manufactured on or after July, 2018 are shipped with a blank TCM that requires configuration.
- 10208564Feb 28, 2022There have been warranty claims submitted for growling or bearing whine noise in differentials, transfer units and transmissions where the source of the noise was a wheel…
- 10208556Feb 23, 2022Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as…
- 10206002Dec 8, 2021Automatic Transmission/Transaxle Cooler and Lines Flushing Procedure: Automatic Transaxle/Transmission (A/T) oil cooler and lines must be power flushed completely before an…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 8% |
| 2023 | 3 | 25% |
| 2022 | 2 | 8% |
| 2021 | 4 | 7% |
| 2020 | 1 | 3% |
| 2019 | 11 | 15% |
| 2018 | 5 | 5% |
| 2017 | 3 | 4% |
| 2016 | 9 | 9% |
| 2015 | 5 | 4% |
| 2014 | 7 | 5% |
| 2013 | 18 | 15% |
| 2012 | 40 | 18% |
| 2011 | 12 | 9% |
| 2010 | 40 | 6% |
| 2009 | 6 | 5% |
| 2008 | 15 | 5% |
| 2007 | 17 | 8% |
| 2006 | 21 | 13% |
| 2005 | 5 | 5% |
| 2004 | 24 | 17% |
Other parts of the 2013 Mazda MAZDA3
36 complaintsElectrical system
32 complaintsBrakes
15 complaintsEngine
11 complaintsBody and structure
11 complaintsOther or unknown
10 complaintsSeats
9 complaintsSteering
9 complaintsAir bags
7 complaintsSeat belts
6 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaintsElectronic stability control
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2013 Mazda MAZDA3
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 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