2018 Mazda MAZDA3 Problems

What owners report

Owners of this 2018 Mazda3 most often write about the rearview camera showing a flickering, distorted or missing image, and about the infotainment screen that cracks internally or changes settings on its own. Another common theme is windshield wipers that quit working, frequently diagnosed at the dealer as a body control module fault. Reports span a wide mileage range, from nearly new cars to well over 100,000 miles, and several complaints tie the camera and wiper symptoms to recall campaigns.

1. 1
   Back-over prevention (rear camera)

   Rearview camera flickers, distorts or goes blank

   • 29 complaints (26%)
   • median 40,000 mi at 5.7 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners describe the backup camera image flickering, becoming fuzzy or distorted, or dropping out entirely while reversing. Some say it worked intermittently for a time before failing, and others note the display screen itself malfunctioned. Complaints frequently mention that the dealer confirmed the remedy was a camera or screen replacement but that parts under recall 23V487000 were not yet available, and several report waiting a long time after being notified. Reported from about 25,000 to 130,000 miles, with many at 30,000-80,000 miles; described as intermittent at first and then progressively worse.

   Recall 23V487000

   What to check: Test the backup camera in reverse on a cold start and after the car has sat in the heat, and look for flicker or a missing image. Ask whether recall 23V487000 has been completed on this specific car.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Safety Recall 6023G - NHTSA Campaign Number 23V-487. The car was purchased in 2018. On 5/29/2024 the backup camera view has gone black, providing no image. Since I've owned this car, the backup camera view appears, sometimes flickers, and now, has gone completely black, only to pop on randomly. I have asked the local Mazda dealer on multiple occasions, since purchasing the car, if it can be repaired/replaced, but am told parts are not available or that there is no start date on file. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11591286, filed 2024-05

   “Rear view camera started having distorted image causing issues reversing the car, there is an open recall for which Mazda has not been able to identify a fix”

   NHTSA complaint #11571186, filed 2024-02
2. 2
   Fuel system

   Stalling or loss of power (fuel pump and engine)

   • 15 complaints (14%)
   • median 78,000 mi at 5.6 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners describe the car stalling or losing motive power at speed, sometimes with several warning lights and a no-restart until it sits for a while; some add that the accelerator did not respond. Dealers diagnosed a failed low-pressure fuel pump in several cases, and owners link the symptom to recall 21V875000 while noting their car was not included. A smaller group reports engine noise, rod knock or low oil leading to an engine replacement, and one complaint mentions a strong fuel smell after refueling. Mostly reported between about 32,000 and 130,000 miles, with several around 50,000-105,000 miles; often at highway speed or under load.

   Recall 21V875000Recall 17V745000

   What to check: Ask whether the fuel pump recall 21V875000 was performed on this VIN, check for a fuel smell around the tank and filler after a fill-up, and listen for knocking or ticking from the engine at start-up. Verify oil level and service records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 2018 Mazda 3 hatchback 2.5l with a faulty fuel pump. I bought the car 1 year old with 2k mikes on it in 2019 from Jake Sweeney Mazda in Cincinnati ohio. They tell me the issue with power loss and stalling I need a new fuel pump it's failing cost is $1600 to repair. Then I learn a few days later on my own 121,000 2018-2109 Mazda 3 and others were recalled due to a faulty fuel pump with the exact problem I have manufactured by Denso. But I'm told my vin # isn't on the recall. The Denso fuel pump is the brand. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11529167, filed 2023-06

   “Fuel smell after a fill-up, fuel pump is cracked/deformed EXACTLY as described in Mazda bulletin 5321K (THIS BULLETIN EXCLUDES THIS MODEL). Strong fuel smell in the cabin, liquid fuel leaking from the top of the tank.”

   NHTSA complaint #11557227, filed 2023-11
3. 3
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield wipers stop working

   • 14 complaints (13%)
   • median 24,517 mi at 1.9 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2018–2026

   Complaints describe front wipers that quit mid-drive, often in rain, with the lever in interval or automatic mode and no response at any speed setting; some owners say the rear wiper or washers still worked. Several report the dealer diagnosed a failed body control module or wiper relay and replaced it, while others say their car was outside the coverage of recall 19V272000 despite matching the symptoms. A few mention the wipers stalling in the up position or working erratically before failing. Reported from about 2,000 miles up to around 200,000 miles, often during rain or while the wipers were on an intermittent setting.

   Recall 19V272000

   What to check: Run the wipers through every speed and interval setting, including automatic mode, and watch whether they pause or stop. Ask whether recall 19V272000 applies to the car and whether the wiper relay or body control module has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The rear wiper stopped working during a drive in heavy rain conditions, similarly like it happen to the same vehicle for the front wipers 6 months after I got the vehicle. I tried to schedule an appointment with the dealer but with the pandemic it was not possible. When I went for the actual appointment on march 2021, they told me the vehicle was out of warranty even though it is barely 3 years old, and just for a diagnostic they will charge $160 plus tax. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11413902, filed 2021-04, 29,850 miles

   “On september 13th, 2018, I was driving out of the state, during a road trip on my way from cannon beach to portland in the state of oregon around 9pm, I was driving my 2018 Mazda 3 on north of highway I-5 when rain began during rush traffic. I had the automatic front wipers on and they began performing their function for about 3 minutes when all of a sudden they went off. Rain got heavier and even after trying to actuate the wiper lever to high speed, the front wipers failed to start working again. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11131123, filed 2018-09, 14,580 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Ghost touch and cracked infotainment screen

   • 24 complaints (22%)
   • typically at 6.8 yrs old
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners report the center touchscreen changing radio stations, switching menus or navigating on its own without being touched, a behavior often called ghost touch. Others describe fine spider cracks developing inside the display glass and the corners going opaque, which makes the screen hard to read and, in some cars, harder to use the backup camera. Complaints mention the dealer declining help once the car was out of warranty, and some note a warranty extension program for the infotainment unit. Mostly reported on cars several years old regardless of mileage; cracks are often noticed after the car has been parked, without any impact.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: With the car running, watch the screen for a minute without touching it to see whether menus or stations change by themselves; inspect the display at an angle in daylight for hairline internal cracks. Ask whether the infotainment warranty extension program applies to the car.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I got into my car and the infotainment screen was cracked. It had been parked in moderate weather (no extreme heat or cold) and just randomly had multiple small cracks across the screen. This makes the back up camera difficult to see which is a safety concern.”

   NHTSA complaint #11666801, filed 2025-06

   “The touch screen in my car has developed a malfunction known as “ghost touch,” where the screen glitches and registers inputs I am not making. This failure involves the infotainment system, and the component is still available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of others were put at risk because the screen can suddenly change settings, including navigation, phone, and climate controls, while I am driving, which is distracting and dangerous. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11684878, filed 2025-09
5. 5
   Electrical system

   Battery drain and electrical warning lights

   • 7 complaints (6%)
   • median 31,321 mi at 3.4 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2020–2025

   Owners report repeated dead batteries, sometimes replaced several times by the dealer with explanations about short trips, and occasional complete electrical shutdown while driving with the charge warning light on. Some describe forward collision, lane departure and parking brake warning lights coming on intermittently, in cold weather at first and then more often. Complaints also mention that a shop asked whether aftermarket devices were plugged into the power outlets, and that diagnosis in these cases can be involved. Reported across a wide mileage range, from a few thousand miles to over 100,000; several owners mention cold weather or frequent short trips.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for battery test records and whether any aftermarket electronics were installed, and check that no warning lights remain lit after a cold start. A battery load test before purchase is a reasonable ask.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The charge warning system came on and then a few minutes later my car completely shuts down in the middle of traffic it happened on february 3rd and I had another incident on february the 9th 2021 I took the car in to get looked at my Mazda and they couldn't find anything wrong without having the indication when I clearly told them my car stopped in the middle of traffic this is very dangerous and it can cause accidents”

   NHTSA complaint #11395489, filed 2021-02, 48,000 miles

   “The battery in my 2018 Mazda 3 (touring) has died 3 times in about year's time. After the first time, the dealer said it was just a fluke--that it could have been caused by anything. They put a brand new battery in. After the second battery died, the dealer said that it was because we weren't making long drives in the car. They replaced the battery with a brand new one--and they assured me it wasn't anything else including the alternator (I asked about the alternator specifically). Now, that battery has died. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11325490, filed 2020-05, 4,000 miles

Buying note. Check the backup camera and infotainment screen carefully on a test drive, confirm whether the camera and fuel pump recalls were completed for the VIN, and exercise the wipers at every setting. Service records for battery replacements and body control module work are worth reviewing before deciding.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.